how heavy are these cabinets usually?

Weight depends heavily on the timber and the size of the piece. A small mahogany tabletop model might weigh under ten kilos and is easy to move. Floor-standing banks of thirty drawers built from dense woods are a different matter. You need two strong people to lift them, even with the drawers removed.

I was wondering if the glass lids on the drawers are supposed to come off easily or if they should be tight?

The glazed frames should fit tightly into the drawer rebates. Makers designed them this way to create a barrier against dust and pests like museum beetles. If they slide out too easily, the timber has probably shrunk over the decades. You have to lift them carefully, often using a small bone or brass ring pull set into the frame edge.

what are the drawer bases made of?

Most makers used thin sheets of mahogany or pine for the solid base. On top of that, entomological cabinets have a layer of sheet cork glued down to grip mounting pins. The cork is usually covered with a layer of plain white paper. Mineral cabinets skip the cork and paper, sometimes using bare wood or baize linings instead.

If I buy one of these and want to use it for art supplies instead of bugs, can I remove the dividers?

Many dividers are loose and lift straight out, especially in egg or mineral cabinets. Collectors added them later to suit their specific finds. Sometimes they are pinned or glued into the drawer sides. Removing those risks damaging the mahogany linings, so you're better off finding a cabinet that already has open drawers.

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An antique specimen cabinet is a bank of shallow drawers, built originally to house and organise natural history collections like insects or minerals.

19th century

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Pair of 19th Century Mahogany Specimen/collector Cabinets

From Rupert Hitchcox Antiques

£6,500

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19th century

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Fine Pair of Antique Mahogany Collectors Cabinets by Standish

From Atropos Antiques

£3,650

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Victorian Specimen Cabinets

Pair of 19th Century Mahogany Specimen/collector Cabinets

Fine Pair of Antique Mahogany Collectors Cabinets by Standish

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