ANTIQUE GEORGE III FIGURED MAHOGANY SLANT LID WRITING DESK WITH OVAL EMBOSSED BRASS PULLS
With our highest compliments Bay Colony Antiques proudly offers this exceptional antique writing desk. A gentleman living in England in the late 18th century would have sat at this desk for hours a day to maintain records, write various correspondences, and balance ledgers for many years of his life. This reality made the writing desk among the most important pieces of household furniture and often they were the focal point of an entire room. For this reason, patrons who could afford extra embellishments and higher quality materials often elected to invest money for these finer details as so much time and attention was afforded to the gentleman's writing desk.
The writing desk features a brilliant selection of figured crotched mahogany upon the writing lid and on every drawer face. The bold mahogany is not only book-matched from left to right creating a mirrored balance but also sequence matched from top to bottom. As wood grows in successive layers each sequential layer closely bares the same characteristics as the previous layer. This allows for a continual flowing design to appear vertically throughout all of the drawer faces. The drawers each feature embossed brass oval pulls, inlaid shield-form escutcheons, and cock-bead molding spanning around the entirety of every drawer front. The desk retains the original locks and has wonderful half-blind dovetailed joinery and yew wood secondary lumber. The lid has a marvelous ebony line inlay and opens to reveal five implement drawer along with a slotted document compartment. Each implement drawer retains the original turned bone knobs and rests above five interior divided compartments.
This desk has a wonderful form taking its basic form from the English Hepplewhite design which first appeared in the mid 1760's. A single band of ebony inlay embellishes the base of the desk which features a lobed or curved skirt and sides along with flared French feet. The back of the desk still retains the original pine backboards that have developed a darker surface color is the passing centuries. The desk is in overall excellent condition with only minimal repairs being required throughout the years. The desk measures 37” wide x 18” deep x 43 1/8” tall.
