What wood are most glazed cabinets made from?

Mahogany dominates, appearing in around a third of titles, with walnut second. Between them they cover the bulk of what turns up. Pine and oak run behind, mostly on country pieces such as glazed-top dressers and wall cupboards. Rosewood, satinwood, kingwood and burr walnut appear on the more decorated end. Rarer timbers show once or twice each: yew, thuya, amboyna, pollard oak, birch, cedar and elm.

How old are they usually?

Dealers' dating runs from 1750 to 1960, with 530 listings carrying a clean year. The earliest dated sample is a Dutch floral marquetry glazed sideboard display cabinet given as 1750; the latest a mid-century glazed bookcase cabinet of 1960. Much of the profile comes as era labels instead: 19th Century, Edwardian, Victorian, Georgian. Decade tags cluster from the 1880s to the 1930s.

Which type is the most expensive?

French Louis-revival vitrines, ormolu-mounted and in kingwood, hold the top of the range almost on their own. They reach many times the level of the ordinary Edwardian mahogany display cabinet that defines the category.

Are shop showcases included in this category?

Yes, and they are a persistent minority. Shop appears in 38 titles, covering jewellers' and chemists' counter cases, a haberdashery cabinet and confectionery showcases hand sign-written with brand names. The largest piece recorded in the whole category is a nine-foot mahogany-framed shop display cabinet.

Do collectors' cabinets turn up under this heading?

Occasionally, and they are their own thing. Microscope-slide cabinets, specimen cases and insect drawer cabinets all appear, one recorded as holding 200 tropical insects. They sit apart from the drawing-room display cabinets that make up around half the category.

How many come up for sale?

Around 125 glazed cabinets are listed a year on Sellingantiques, and 224 different dealers have handled them. That makes it one of the broadly stocked furniture categories rather than a specialist corner. Sizes range from miniature table-top cases only inches across to an eight-foot pine larder cupboard.