What is an Edwardian music cabinet?

An Edwardian music cabinet is a specialised piece of storage furniture produced in early 20th-century Britain, designed specifically to house sheet music manuscripts near pianos or within music rooms.

What materials and decorative techniques are used in these cabinets?

These pieces typically feature dense hardwoods such as Goncalo Alves, rosewood, or mahogany, often embellished with fine marquetry, urn motifs, satinwood stringing, and mirrored back upstands.

How can authentic Edwardian inlaid cabinets be identified?

Authentic period pieces generally exhibit brass castors, hand-cut marquetry inlays featuring neoclassical urns or swags, dovetail jointed drawers, and period drop-down or cupboard door mechanisms.

How can a music cabinet be styled in modern interior spaces?

Position the cabinet in a hallway, living room nook, or dining space as a functional accent storage unit, using the flat surface and upper mirrored shelves to display ceramics, books, or lamps.

How should one care for marquetry inlaid wood cabinets?

Preserve the cabinet by maintaining stable humidity levels away from direct heat sources, dusting regularly with a soft microfibre cloth, and applying natural beeswax polish sparingly along the wood grain.

for sale €1,492 $1,619

£1,275

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Id #SA765402

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Antique Edwardian Gonçalo Alves Marquetry Inlaid Music Cabinet 19th Century

19th century

For Sale by Regent Antiques

Description

This is a beautiful antique Gonçalo alves and boxwood marquetry inlaid music cabinet, circa 1880 in date.

The rectangular top has a mirrored marquetry gallery, above a single frieze drawer. The panelled cupboard door slides outwards and has compartments for your sheet music.

It is raised on elegant turned feet which terminate in the original castors.

It is a beautiful piece which is ideal to store your sheet music or as a decorative piece of furniture.

Condition:

In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned and polished in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 144 x Width 57 x Depth 39

Dimensions in inches:

Height 56.7 x Width 22.4 x Depth 15.4

Gonçalo alves is a hardwood (from the Portuguese name, Gonçalo Alves). It is sometimes referred to as tigerwood — a name that underscore the wood’s often dramatic, contrasting color scheme.

While the sapwood is very light in color, the heartwood is a sombre brown, with dark streaks that give it a unique look. The wood’s color deepens with exposure and age and even the plainer-looking wood has a natural luster.

Two species are usually listed as sources for gonçalo alves: Astronium fraxinifolium and Astronium graveolens, although other species in the genus may yield similar wood; the amount of striping that is present may vary.

In the high tropical forests of Central and South America, well-drained soils furnish nutrients for a variety of dense, durable hardwoods sought for maritime use, heavyconstruction, and furniture. The Spanish began harvesting in Latin American forests in the early 1500s to provide timber for boatbuilding and repair. By the early 1900s, however, steel ships had replaced wooden ones, and the interest in tropical forests by both Europeans and Americans shifted to appearance-grade woods for furniture.

Although history fails to provide us with a shopping list of species from either harvest period, it's probable that the wood we know today as goncalo alves has always been sought. That's because goncalo alves, considered one of the most beautiful of tropical woods, has a tough reputation, too. Strong and durable, it's used for construction in its homeland and secondarily for fine furniture. Woodworkers elsewhere treasure the wood for decorative items and veneer accents.

Our reference: 09322a

Physical Dimensions

Height

144cm (56.69")

Width

57cm (22.44")

Depth

39cm (15.35")

Declaration

Regent Antiques has dated this Edwardian Inlaid Music Cabinet to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA765402

Dealers Internal Reference

09322a

Description

This is a beautiful antique Gonçalo alves and boxwood marquetry inlaid music cabinet, circa 1880 in date.

The rectangular top has a mirrored marquetry gallery, above a single frieze drawer. The panelled cupboard door slides outwards and has compartments for your sheet music.

fig 1. An Edwardian Goncalo Alves music cabinet featuring marquetry inlays of classical urns, an upper shelf with a central arched mirror, a single drawer, an open alcove, and a lower cupboard resting on brass castors. — fig 1. Antique Edwardian Gonçalo Alves Marquetry Inlaid Music Cabinet 19th Century

It is raised on elegant turned feet which terminate in the original castors.

“

It is a beautiful piece which is ideal to store your sheet music or as a decorative piece of furniture.

Regent Antiques

Condition:

In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned and polished in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

fig 2. An Edwardian Goncalo Alves music cabinet featuring marquetry inlays of classical urns, an upper shelf with a central arched mirror, a single drawer, an open alcove, and a lower cupboard resting on brass castors. — fig 2. Antique Edwardian Gonçalo Alves Marquetry Inlaid Music Cabinet 19th Century

Dimensions in cm:

Height 144 x Width 57 x Depth 39

Dimensions in inches:

Height 56.7 x Width 22.4 x Depth 15.4

Gonçalo alves is a hardwood (from the Portuguese name, Gonçalo Alves). It is sometimes referred to as tigerwood — a name that underscore the wood’s often dramatic, contrasting color scheme.

fig 3. An Edwardian Goncalo Alves music cabinet featuring marquetry inlays of classical urns, an upper shelf with a central arched mirror, a single drawer, an open alcove, and a lower cupboard resting on brass castors. — fig 3. Antique Edwardian Gonçalo Alves Marquetry Inlaid Music Cabinet 19th Century

While the sapwood is very light in color, the heartwood is a sombre brown, with dark streaks that give it a unique look. The wood’s color deepens with exposure and age and even the plainer-looking wood has a natural luster.

fig 4. An Edwardian Goncalo Alves music cabinet featuring marquetry inlays of classical urns, an upper shelf with a central arched mirror, a single drawer, an open alcove, and a lower cupboard resting on brass castors. — fig 4. Antique Edwardian Gonçalo Alves Marquetry Inlaid Music Cabinet 19th Century

Two species are usually listed as sources for gonçalo alves: Astronium fraxinifolium and Astronium graveolens, although other species in the genus may yield similar wood; the amount of striping that is present may vary.

fig 5. An Edwardian Goncalo Alves music cabinet featuring marquetry inlays of classical urns, an upper shelf with a central arched mirror, a single drawer, an open alcove, and a lower cupboard resting on brass castors. — fig 5. Antique Edwardian Gonçalo Alves Marquetry Inlaid Music Cabinet 19th Century

In the high tropical forests of Central and South America, well-drained soils furnish nutrients for a variety of dense, durable hardwoods sought for maritime use, heavyconstruction, and furniture. The Spanish began harvesting in Latin American forests in the early 1500s to provide timber for boatbuilding and repair. By the early 1900s, however, steel ships had replaced wooden ones, and the interest in tropical forests by both Europeans and Americans shifted to appearance-grade woods for furniture.

fig 6. An Edwardian Goncalo Alves music cabinet featuring marquetry inlays of classical urns, an upper shelf with a central arched mirror, a single drawer, an open alcove, and a lower cupboard resting on brass castors. — fig 6. Antique Edwardian Gonçalo Alves Marquetry Inlaid Music Cabinet 19th Century

Although history fails to provide us with a shopping list of species from either harvest period, it's probable that the wood we know today as goncalo alves has always been sought. That's because goncalo alves, considered one of the most beautiful of tropical woods, has a tough reputation, too. Strong and durable, it's used for construction in its homeland and secondarily for fine furniture. Woodworkers elsewhere treasure the wood for decorative items and veneer accents.

Our reference: 09322a