What timber are most of these made from?

Burr walnut, and by a long way. It accounts for 329 of the 343 titles in the category. The other burr timbers are thin on the ground. Burr maple, burr oak, pollard oak, burr elm and burr satinwood each appear only once or twice.

Are burr wardrobes Victorian or later?

More than half are interwar. Of the listings with a clean year, 147 are 1920s and 54 are 1930s. The Victorian side is smaller: 56 listings simply labelled Victorian, 12 as 19th century, and a scatter given by decade in the 1850s, 1860s and 1880s. Edwardian, 1900s and 1910s dates are few. The dated field starts at 1850, so Georgian burr wardrobes aren't part of this heading.

What does compactum mean on a wardrobe?

It's a case that combines hanging space with drawers, trays or shelves rather than leaving the interior open. The word appears in 32 titles. It has grown commoner in current stock than in the archive, so the fitted interior now reads as a leading selling point. 'Fitted' does similar work, in 28 titles.

Why are there so many triple wardrobes?

Triples outnumber doubles 77 to 58 in the titles, which is unusual for a bedroom form. It reflects how many Victorian breakfront wardrobes survive, built in three sections with a mirrored centre door between two wings. The 1920s triple is common too, with 47 titles pairing 'walnut' and 'triple'.

Do Queen Anne style burr wardrobes date from that period?

No. All 23 Queen Anne style titles in this category are dated 1920s or 1930s, none Victorian or earlier. They're a 20th-century revival, recognisable by dome and double-dome tops and cabriole-style framing.

How often do burr wardrobes come up for sale?

Around 34 come to market in a year on Sellingantiques. Fifty-nine different dealers have listed one, so no single dealer sets the tone of the category. Matching ladies' and gentlemen's wardrobes turn up now and then, sold as a pair, and only among the 1920s listings.