What is the difference between a credenza and a sideboard?

In these listings the words overlap heavily. Credenza describes a low two- to four-door cabinet, often with shaped or open ends, and side cabinet is used for the same form. Sideboard is the broader word, covering dining-room serving furniture of both the Victorian and twentieth-century crests. Compound titles like credenza sideboard appear where a dealer wants both.

Which period do most walnut sideboards come from?

The dated listings run from 1700 to 1940 and have two crests rather than one. The 1860s is the mid-Victorian peak, with the 1850s, 1870s and 1880s filling in behind it. The second crest is the 1920s and 1930s. Between them, Victorian and 19th Century appear as era labels on many listings rather than precise years.

Why do so many titles say burr walnut?

Burr appears in 524 titles, nearly half the category, which makes it the default veneer description here. Burr veneer is cut from a knotty growth on the tree and gives a swirled figure. Where a piece isn't burr, dealers tend to reach for figured instead.

Are French and Continental examples common?

They're a thin but varied seam. French entries are the largest group, followed by Italian, with one-off Dutch, Flemish, Spanish and Swedish pieces. They arrive as buffets, enfilades and commodes, and marble tops turn up throughout this branch. Louis XV and Louis XVI labels appear, and the latest dated entry sampled is a signed French Art Deco parquetry buffet.

What does exhibition quality mean in a title?

It's a dealer's term, used in twenty titles, for the most elaborate credenzas. Those pieces tend to pile up several features at once: floral marquetry, ormolu mounts, satinwood, kingwood, tulipwood, amboyna, and porcelain plaques.

Do unusual forms turn up in this category?

They do, mostly as one-offs. A walnut hunting sideboard, a metamorphic buffet, a French bakers table and an early 19th-century Dutch travelling cabinet have each appeared once. Others include a demi-lune sideboard supplied with a twelve-piece cutlery set and a Gothic Revival sideboard with Romayne panels and rampant lions.