Ebony Antique Furniture Collections

Ebony Antique Furniture Collections

69 products
69 products

Ebony has long been one of the most prized and exotic timbers used in furniture-making. Known for its deep black colouring, fine grain, and exceptional density, ebony has symbolised luxury, rarity, and refinement since the 16th century. Imported from Africa, India, and Sri Lanka, ebony was used sparingly in English furniture due to its scarcity, most often as veneer, inlay, or decorative detailing on fine pieces.

Origins and Qualities

True ebony comes from several species of Diospyros, native to regions including Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Coromandel in southern India, and parts of Africa such as Madagascar. Its jet-black heartwood is extremely heavy and durable, capable of taking a superb polish. Because ebony was difficult to source in large planks, it was rarely used in solid form for whole pieces of furniture; instead, thin veneers or turned details were applied to more common carcass timbers like oak or mahogany.

Decorative Uses

Ebony’s striking appearance made it ideal for contrast. From the 17th century, it was often used for stringing, banding, and small decorative inlays, set against pale woods like boxwood, satinwood, or sycamore. Ebony veneer was also popular in Dutch and Anglo-Dutch cabinets of the late 17th century, lending them a bold, architectural quality. In the 19th century, it reappeared in Regency and Victorian furniture, often paired with calamander or rosewood for dramatic effect. Turned ebony knobs, handles, and mouldings were also a hallmark of neoclassical taste.

Makers and Styles

In the late 17th century, ebony and ebonised finishes were highly fashionable for cabinets and mirrors, with Anglo-Dutch influences seen in English workshops. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, leading firms such as Gillows of Lancaster and London incorporated ebony inlay and details into their mahogany and satinwood furniture. Ebony was also favoured in Anglo-Indian pieces, where local craftsmen used solid ebony or calamander for campaign chests, writing boxes, and small tables destined for export to Britain.

Ebonised Furniture

Because true ebony was so expensive and limited in supply, cabinetmakers often produced ebonised furniture, staining or veneering more common timbers such as beech or fruitwood to imitate ebony’s black finish. These pieces allowed the fashionable appearance of ebony at a more accessible cost, and many fine 18th- and 19th-century examples survive today.

Legacy

Ebony remains one of the most evocative and desirable woods in antique furniture. Whether in the bold architectural cabinets of the 17th century, the refined inlays of Georgian and Regency pieces, or the export furniture of Anglo-India, ebony represents the ultimate in luxury and craftsmanship. Its rarity ensures that true antique ebony furniture is highly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs alike.

Set of 12 Ebony Klismos Dining Chairs
Collection EE30
Login to view prices
Rare Late 17th Century Inlaid Satinwood and Ebony Coffer on Stand
Collection EE40
Login to view prices
Indo Dutch Solid Satinwood and ebony side table with shaped top, ebony mouldings, turned supports, and stretcher circa 1850.
Indo Dutch Solid Satinwood and ebony side table top showing richly figured satinwood with ebony thumb mouldings
Indo Dutch Solid Satinwood and ebony side table
Collection EE40
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Satinwood & Kingwood George III Drop Leaf Sofa Table
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Thomas Chippendale Collectors Cabinet
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Regency Pollard Oak Centre Table In The Manner Of George Bullock
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Decorative Ceylonese Carved Ebony Box
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Large Ceylonese Carved Ebony Workbox
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Ceylonese Carved Ebony Work Box
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Pair of large French-Indian Demi Lune Ebony Console Tables
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Pair of Ebony / Satinwood Console Tables
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
CEYLONESE 19TH CENTURY EBONY ARMCHAIR
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Falcini Brothers Florentine Marquetry Centre Table
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Anglo Indian 19th Century Solid Ebony Armchair III
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
19th Century Indian Ebony Armchair
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
17th Century Solid Ebony Occasional Table
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Antique Pair of Anglo Indian Solid Ebony Armchairs
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Important Burr Oak Carlton House Desk Attributed To George Bullock
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Important 17th Century Tortoiseshell Table ||| Attributed Forschoudt of Antwerp
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Indian Solid Ebony Side Chair
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Pair of Solid Ebony Caned Long Benches
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Pair of Solid Ebony Barley Twist Caned Long Benches
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
I Ch Séné, Occasional Table, Napoleon III, Paris
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Indian Octagonal Table Top
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Pair of Large Scale Ceylonese Solid Ebony Armchairs
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Near Pair of Indian Reeded Ebony Writing Boxes
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Magnificent Pair of Indian Ebony Settees
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Fine Directoire Mahogany Tric Trac Table
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Dutch Colonial Ceylonese Ebony Armchair - Late 17th Century
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Ceylonese Porcupine Quill and Ebony Box
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
19th Century Calcutta School Centre Table
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Thomas Weeks Satinwood Regency Period Personal Mechanical Weighing Scales
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Dutch Brass Repousse Cushion Mirror
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
A Ceylonese Porcupine Quill Box
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
A Fine Directoire Mahogany Tric Trac / Backgammon Table
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Sold Out
Pair Of Ceylonese Solid Ebony Armchairs
The Sold Archive
Login to view prices
Pair of Solid Ebony Ceylonese Carved Candle Stands
Collection EE10
Login to view prices
Georges Lucien Guyot
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Login to view prices
Satinwood Stools Available in Pairs
Collection EE30
Login to view prices
Pair of Solid Ebony Barley Twist Stools
Collection EE30
Login to view prices
Recently viewed