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Close-up of a dark stained wooden texture with pronounced grain patterns.

How to Identify Mahogany in Antique Furniture

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Mahogany is a trade name covering several related and look-alike timbers used across centuries.

What to examine

Seek interlocked grain, ribbon stripe on quartered surfaces and pores visible under magnification. Protected areas may retain original colour.

Avoid the common trap

Species claims can affect trade rules and value. Avoid certainty without microscopic or documentary support.

Record your findings

Photograph the whole object, the feature in context and a close-up with scale. Note what is observed separately from any conclusion.

Reliable starting points

  • [V&A collections](https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections)
  • [The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline](https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/)

Identification should combine several forms of evidence. Do not use destructive tests, and seek a specialist opinion where attribution or value matters.

Learn by looking closely

See workshop examinations and restoration details on the [Antique Repair Shop YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@AntiqueRepairShop).