Flame mahogany is wood that has been cut from a fork of a mahogany tree – where the branch extends out from the trunk.  The visual patterns from the cut resemble flames, hence the name.  Flame mahogany was both expensive and rare.   Wide planks of this wood, once cut, could warp and curl, so veneering was the method employed in the creation of most antique furniture bearing flame mahogany.  It is a beautiful, rich sophisticated wood, with great warmth.

 

A sideboard was a side or serving table, also known as a buffet. It would sit along the wall of a dining room adjacent to the dining table.  Sideboards could be used for serving food, for displaying serving dishes and for storage. Sideboards usually had a set of cabinets or one of more drawers.