What's the difference between a chiffonier and a sideboard?

In dealer usage on Sellingantiques, very little. Of 809 listings, 254 also carry the word sideboard and 111 say side cabinet, frequently in the same title as chiffonier. The distinction that does hold is scale and shape: the chiffonier is the low two-door cupboard with a shelf back, a compact alternative to the full pedestal sideboard.

Which timber turns up most often?

Mahogany, in 426 of the titles, with flame and figured cuts a recurring note within that group. Rosewood is second at 212, much of it Regency and some brass-inlaid. Between them the two timbers account for better than three-quarters of the category. Walnut, including burr walnut, is a smaller group at 56.

How old are most of them?

Nineteenth century, though the dating in listings is mostly by reign. Regency appears 171 times, Victorian 149, and the plain 19th Century tag 198 times. Only 233 listings give a clean year, so a stated period is often a style label rather than a researched date. Decade tags gather in the 1860s and 1850s.

Do chiffoniers have mirrors?

Some do. Fifteen titles specify a mirror back, a framed looking-glass set in the upstand behind the top, and mirror backs are rising as a share of current stock. They cluster with the walnut and credenza-form cabinets. Where the shelf back or mirror back is absent, dealers tend to call the piece a sideboard base.

Are marble-topped versions common?

Not common, but they turn up throughout. Marble appears in 27 titles, 22 of them saying marble top outright. They sit through the middle and upper-middle of the range rather than at the top of it.

How often do chiffoniers come up for sale?

Around 76 a year are listed on Sellingantiques, and 153 different dealers have offered one. That spread tells you something about the form: it's furniture almost every general furniture dealer handles at some point, rather than a specialist line.

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Antique Chiffoniers

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A chiffonier is a low two-door side cupboard, usually with a shelf or ledge back, made from the early 19th century as enclosed dining-room storage for china, linen or bottles.