A Dutch mahogany chest of drawers

This commode is a good example of the English influence on Dutch furniture in the early 18th Century. This is reflected by the use of mahogany which was introduced earlier in England than in the rest of Europe, circa 1720-1725 and was brought back as ballast on cargo ships returning from the West-Indies in the early twenties of the 18th Century. Mahogany was first introduced in Holland in 1733 by Robert Peters, an English cabinetmaker who worked in Rotterdam.
Mahogany was a much harder wood than any available in Europe at that time. Cabinetmakers were now able to create much finer carving. It was also favoured because of its warm red colour.

See illustration