Monday, September 5, 2011

A NEW DESK IN FALL 2011



American Victorian Eastlake Davenport Desk in walnut and walnut burl, modeled after a design created in the early 19th century by Gillows in London for a ship Captain with the surname of Davenport, providing stylish compact writing and storage, having a capacious molded writing box with a slanted hinged lid surfaced in felt, opening to a cabinet fitted with five open slots in the rear, supported on a case fitted with three small drawers stacked on one side opposing a burled recessed panel, with shaped line-carved buttresses, on a molded plinth, and wooden castors.




The writing box and case are adorned with lined burled panels on three sides individually represented on the drawer fronts. Additionally, the drawer fronts and writing box are each fitted with a key lock, and the drawer fronts are each mounted with a round walnut escutcheon centered above a round ebonized wooden shaped pull capped with a stamped brass rayed medallion.



DATING is from the 1870s. Tulip=poplar secondary wood. Tongue-and-groove joinery with hand-dovetailed drawer boxes. Good condition except that a gallery on the writing box is missing, the slots on the interior of the writing box are replaced, and the felt surface of the writing box is replaced and torn. Rich dark brown finish which is probably original. Measures 30 1/4 " tall, 28 " wide and 24 3/4" deep.

A WRITING DESK