Antique Pair French Thuya Malachite & Silvered Bronze Occasional Tables 20th C

Malachite is an opaque, green banded mineral. It is believed to be a strong protector of children. It protects the wearer from accidents and protects travellers. Malachite has been used to aid success in business and protect against undesirable business associations. It is a stone of balance in relationships.

Malachite is always green, usually in banded tones varying from very dark green to a mellow green. Most malachite comes from Zaire, Chile and Australia.

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used malachite for jewellery and ground it to use as eye shadow. It is used in amulets to protect against the evil eye. In the Middle Ages it was used to protect children from witches and other dangers.

Thuya Wood.
Thuya wood is one of the most exclusive timbers, is incredibly rare, and is only found on exceedingly luxurious pieces of furniture

Thuya wood usually ranges in colour from a golden brown to a medium reddish brown. It has a characteristic three dimensional light and shade patterned appearance, accompanied by a multitude of small dark ‘eye’ formations.

Sourced from an evergreen conifer, Thuya wood is primarily native to the Atlas mountains of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in north-west Africa, with smaller settlements in Malta and near Cartagena in south-east Spain.

The most desirable parts of the wood are obtained from the burrs that are located underground within the large roots of the tree. Whilst rarely used by English cabinet makers and box makers, Thuya wood tended to be more favoured by their French counterparts