This is the second time I've worked on this type of table, which came from the workshop of Louis Majorelle in the 1920s-1930s.
You can find all the information about this type of table at the following link: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/2019/08/29/table-majorelle/
This was primarily a preventative restoration. Indeed, there was no major damage. Thus, a few grafts and the re-gluing of a large portion of the edge veneer were sufficient to restore this lovely Rio rosewood table.
So this is the perfect opportunity to talk to you about this precious wood: rosewood.
What is rosewood?
Rosewood grows in the tropics, in America, Asia, and Africa. Depending on the species, they are vines, shrubs, or trees. All belong to the genus Dalbergia. However, in cabinetmaking, some have other names: rosewood (Dalbergia decipularis), violet wood (Dalbergia cearensis) or Mozambique ebony (Dalbergia melanoxylon). Moreover, there are estimated to be between 150 and 600 species, depending on the source.
Their wood is very dense (0.85 to 1), to the point of barely floating. Furthermore, it is very hard and resistant to insects and moisture. The most sought-after species is the Dalbergia nigra, better known as Rio rosewood.
A victim of its own reputation, Rio rosewood has almost disappeared from the market. Its sale is prohibited for any tree cut down after 1992. Furthermore, since January 2017, all species of Dalbergia are included in the’Annex II of CITES (Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).
Appendix II lists species under significant international pressure that could be threatened with extinction. Their trade must therefore be regulated to prevent overexploitation.
Let's now look at its place in the history of furniture.
Rosewood in the history of furniture
At the end of the 17th century, in Brazil, rosewood was the preferred wood for luxury furniture, both secular and religious. In France, it first arrived via Holland. Then, at the end of the century, it came from Lisbon via Le Havre and Rouen.
Since its arrival in Paris, rosewood has been popular in almost every era. Cabinetmakers were using it as early as 1700. However, royal furniture featured less rosewood than other types. Moreover, Roubo found it "dreary and unpleasant." Yet, he must have used it for marquetry and other details.
During the Revolution and the Empire, however, it was used very little. Then the Restoration brought back into fashion woods such as violet, amaranth and rosewood, for baguettes or inlays.
Then, from Charles X onwards, dark woods came back into favor, and the trend was confirmed under Louis-Philippe.
The 19th century and Art Deco
At the 1834 Exhibition, Flachat and Moléon praised rosewood, "which is taking the place of mahogany in our luxury furnishings." From then on, it was commonly used for all kinds of furniture: chairs, armchairs, and writing desks. But its role changed: like ebony and mahogany, it served as a background. It thus highlighted a light-colored decoration inlaid with ivory, holly, lemonwood, or even white wood.
Under the Second Empire, wood was often only a support, hidden under abundant decoration: colored woods, metals, porcelain or hard stones.
At the 1855 Exhibition, rosewood occupied an important place. Thus, until the end of the century, it remained the most used and most sought-after wood.
Art Nouveau, on the other hand, makes little use of it. However, some artists resort to it for exceptional pieces.
During the Art Deco period, rosewood finally regained its popularity. Rarely used in solid form, it was more often incorporated into furniture. It was frequently paired with mahogany, amboyna, or snakewood. Its dark color then contrasted with mother-of-pearl, ivory, or brass.
The most commonly used rosewood species in cabinetmaking, by continent:
American Rosewoods
- Rio rosewood (Dalbergia nigra)
- Origin: Brazil.
- Description : This is the most commonly used rosewood in cabinetmaking. It was found from the late 16th century until the 1970s. Its widespread use led to its classification as an endangered species, and its trade is therefore prohibited.
- Note – Santos rosewood (similar in color to Rio rosewood, increasingly used as a substitute for Rio rosewood) is not a true rosewood, as it belongs to the species Caesalpinia ferrea.
- Honduran rosewood (Dalbergia Stevensonii)
- Origin: Central America, South America
- Description : It is a hardwood (density 0.96), identifiable by its specific pinkish-brown to reddish colors. It is mainly used to make musical instruments.
- Cocobolo (Dalbergia Retusa)
- Origin: Central America. Costa Rica. Nicaragua. Mexico. Honduras
- Description : This rosewood, with its shimmering colors, was used on Spanish furniture from the early 16th century. From the early 17th and 18th centuries, it can be found on Dutch, French, and English furniture. It is particularly sought after by marquetry artists due to its highly decorative appearance.
- Rosewood (Dalbergia variabilis)
- Origin: Guyana. Brazil.
- Description : There are two types of rosewood: the female rosewood used for distillation into perfumes, which has no aesthetic value in marquetry, and the male rosewood, used in the 18th century to create flowers in marquetry bouquets, hence the English name "Tulipwood." Its French name, however, derives from its color and fragrance.
- Wood: Violet wood (Dalbergia cearensis)
- Origin: Brazil
- Description : It was initially called "purple wood" because of its color and became "violet" during the 19th century due to confusion with amaranth, which is also purple. It was used as early as the 17th century, and its preciousness earned it the nickname "kingwood" from the English.
Asian Rosewood
- Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
- Origin: South India. Burma. Indonesia.
- Description : It has only been used in French cabinetmaking since the second half of the 19th century. It reached its peak during the Art Deco period. It reappeared in the 1950s and 1960s. Today it is mainly used for decorative panels and in furniture.
- Vietnamese rosewood (Dalbergia bariensis)
- Origin: Southeast Asia
- Description : It is reddish-brown/purplish-brown in color and has been used mainly since the 20th century.
African Rosewood
- Madagascar rosewood (Dalbergia Voamboana)
- Origin: Madagascar.
- Description : It was widely used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to make copies of 18th-century furniture. Today, it is a highly sought-after wood for cabinetmaking, marquetry, fine joinery, and luxury parquet flooring. It is also used for outdoor purposes: garden furniture, swimming pools, gates, pergolas, and decking. However, its primary use remains in luxury furniture.
- Mozambique ebony (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
- Origin: Mozambique. Senegal.
- Description : It is also called "Blackwood" or "African Grenadilla." This wood is called ebony, but it is indeed a rosewood since it is a Dalbergia and not a Diospyros (Ebony). It has been widely used since antiquity in sculpture, both solid and veneered. It can be found on pieces of Egyptian furniture. In Europe, it was used from the Middle Ages onwards. It is primarily used in instrument making, serving to turn most wind instruments: clarinet, oboe, bassoon, etc.
Sources:
http://www.george-veneers.com/recup_donnees_bois.php
- Cabinetmaking woods in French furniture by Jacqueline Viaux-Locquin
