What wood are bow front cabinets usually made from?

Mahogany, named in more titles on Sellingantiques than every other timber added together. Walnut comes next, with burr walnut concentrated in 1920s cocktail and bedside pieces. Satinwood appears in a small run of titles, oak and pine only occasionally.

Which period do most of them come from?

Edwardian is the single largest dated label, ahead of the 1910s, Victorian, the 1920s and the 1900s. Georgian and "19th Century" appear in smaller numbers. The dated field runs 1800 to 1940. Many dealers give only a reign or a century rather than a year, so a large slice of the category is dated to "Edwardian" or "Georgian" and no closer. Sample titles reach back to c.1710 and c.1725.

Are corner versions common?

Yes. Corner cabinets and cupboards make up close to a quarter of titles, the second personality of the category. They come in two heights: small cupboards that hang on the wall, and full-height cabinets that stand on the floor. Some listings use the French word encoignure.

Do they come in pairs?

Pairs run through roughly a tenth of titles and form a genuine sub-market of their own. Bedside chests account for most of them. There are also pairs of tall glazed corner cabinets, and a pair of Sheraton revival bowed side cabinets sits at the very top of the sampled range.

Were bow front cabinets made for shops?

A handful were. Eight titles are shop fittings: a bow front counter, a chemist's corner cabinet, a table-top display case. They mark one end of the size range. At the other end are miniature pieces, including an apprentice chest sampler and a miniature bow fronted chest.

Are any of them by named makers?

Not as a rule. Firm names show up only as one-off mentions in titles, so this isn't a category read through its makers. What dealers name instead is timber, period and decoration: inlaid mahogany, burr walnut, satinwood stringing, Sheraton Revival.

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Antique Bow Front Cabinets

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A cabinet whose front curves outward in a shallow bow, made in England to hold and show china, glass and small objects, or to stand beside a bed or fill a corner.