Late 19th Century George III Fretted Mahogany Mirror

George III fretted mahogany mirror, with ho ho bird, shell inlay and cross grained frame, circa 1780.

Graining – Decorative painting applied to furniture to imitate the natural pattern of fibres in timber. In the Victorian period it was used to simulate more expensive timber finishes such as rosewood and walnut.
Ho Ho Bird – The ho ho bird is a mythological bird of the East, that in appearance is a composite of many birds including the head of a pheasant, the body of a mandarin duck and the tail of a peacock.

It is used as a decorative motif in both European and Eastern furnishings and decorative arts, especially on ceramics and as part of the carved frame of mirrors.
Mahogany – Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The “flame” was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.

Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as “Cuban” mahogany, “Honduras” mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber’s origin.
George Iii – George III (1738 – 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820.
Inlay – Decorative patterns inserted into the main body of a piece of furniture, generally in wood of contrasting colour and grain, though brass, ivory, ebony, shell and sometimes horn have been used. Inlay may consist of a panel of well figured timber inset into a cabinet door front, geometric patterns, or complex and stylized designs of flowers, swags of foliage, fruits and other motifs. As a general rule, in pieces where the carcase is constructed in the solid, the inlay is relatively simple such as stringing, cross banding and herringbone banding. Where more elaborate and decorative work was required veneer was used. Inlay has been fashionable from at least the latter half of the 17th century, when a variety of elaborate forms were developed
Parquetry – Parquetry is inlay laid in geometric patterns, the contrast being achieved by the opposing angles of the grain and veneers. The herringbone pattern is the most commonly used in flooring, but this is almost never seen in furniture – the patterns used are more complex and unlike flooring, can include several different varieties of timber.
Circa – A Latin term meaning ‘about’, often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.