The English Regency style spanned approximately 40 years, from 1795 until 1837. It is sophisticated, borrowing from styles being used in France as well as influences from ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman art and architecture.  Regency-style furniture originated and became popular during the reign of George IV (1820-1830).  He favored a refined appearance, clean lines and graceful curves. Mahogany and other exotic woods add a luxurious feel to these antiques.  Brass and ormolu decorations often embellished Regency pieces.  The diminished height of many Regency pieces allowed for decorative surface artwork to be admired as well as greater room for display areas for collectibles.

 

Coromandel wood, also known as calamander, is a dense, hard, and heavy hardwood with a distinctive black and hazel-brown striped pattern. It is a type of variegated ebony, closely related to ebony. The wood is native to India and Sri Lanka, and due to over-harvesting, it’s nearly extinct.  Coromandel was used for high-end furniture, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, often for veneers, crossbanding, and smaller decorative elements.