Ebony has a long history of being a prized and coveted material in furniture design. Found only in certain parts of Africa and Asia, this exotic wood was so highly valued that 17th century cabinetmakers would stamp their pieces with the word eben to prevent imitation materials from devaluing their work. (David Linley, Charles Cator and Helen Chislett, Star Pieces: The Enduring Beauty of Spectacular Furniture, London: Thames and Hudson, 2009, p. 33) In Asia, ebony is found in the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, and is called Makassar ebony, or referred by some as coromandel, or Indian ebony. Makassar is one of the rarest and most luxurious of woods. The African countries of Cameroon and Nigeria are famed for their varying shades of ebony and its intense black.

It is not merely the richness of the wood, or its rarity, that make it such a valuable find. Ebony is difficult to work with; its hardness renders it suitable for small, decorative objects and veneering. 17th century cabinetmakers, who called themselves ebenistes, took pride in working with this material. While ebony remained a favourite through the centuries, the Art Deco movement further popularised it among craftsmen who bought into the idea of clean and simple designs.