What wood are most of these made from?

Mahogany leads by a distance, named in 80 of the 238 titles, and "mahogany dressing" alone accounts for 36. Walnut and burr walnut come next, then lighter timbers such as satinwood and satinbirch. Pine appears in a handful of titles and sits low in the range.

How old are the pieces listed here?

The dealer-entered date field spans 1800 to 1930, with 100 of the 238 listings carrying a clean year. Victorian and the vaguer "19th Century" together make the largest block, followed by Edwardian, the 1930s and the 1910s. The oldest thing sampled is dated 1735, a George II yew wood example with its original brasses, well outside the usual span.

Are shaving stands part of this category?

Yes. Shaving appears in 20 titles and shaving stand in 14, most of them free-standing mirrors on a column or tripod base, some telescopic, some in brass. They're under a tenth of the heading and concentrated in the sold archive rather than current stock.

Do many come from France?

French appears in 25 titles, which is the Continent's main showing here. Poudreuses turn up among them, along with Napoleon III, Louis XV and Empire pieces, and marble is named in eight titles. Other origins appear once each: Swedish, Dutch marquetry, a birch Biedermeier vanity cabinet, a Viennese gentleman's table and an Irish matched pair.

Is Art Deco well represented?

The 1930s are the third-largest period group with 18 listings, and art deco appears in 17 titles. Sampled examples run to burr walnut, maple and limed oak.

How often do vanity tables come up for sale?

Around 27 come to market in a year on Sellingantiques, and 115 different dealers have listed one. That spread means it's a form almost every general furniture dealer handles rather than a specialism.