A George III mahogany architects desk attributed to Gillows
38
A George III mahogany architects desk
attributed to Gillows
The rectangular hinged and ratcheted cleated and moulded top with hinged candle shelf to the rear above a frieze drawer enclosing a gilt tooled leather slide enclosing four compartments with adjustable divider, the sides with small stationery drawers above a panelled cupboard door applied with carved paterae flanked by three short drawers to each side on shaped bracket feet, 126cm wide, 68cm deep, 86cm high (49.5" wide, 26.5" deep, 33.5" high).
Sold for £5,000 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • A double sided desk of closely related form was supplied by the firm of Gillows for William Hassell of Penrith in 1774 (now at Dalemain, Cumbria) and is illustrated in S.Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London, 1730-1840, Suffolk 2008. vol.1, p.287, pl.287. The Hassell desk shares similar features including drawer configuration with the ratcheted top with hinged candle shelf, the fitted writing drawer with internal fitted drawer for inkwells to the side of the main drawer.

    The candle shelf was referred to by the firm as 'the flat' and first appears on a Gillow design for a bureau writing table in 1767, the 'flat' was equipped with a very large hinge witch allowed it to be adjusted to the correct angle to support a candlestick, see S.Stuart, ibid., p.276. The rising top and other features of the kneehole desk offered here feature in designs for 'Writing and Reading Tables' and 'Study Tables' in Mayhew and Ince's 'Universal System of Household Furniture, 1762, pl. XXIV & XXV.

Category: Furniture / English Furniture and Works of Art

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