A very fine 19th Century well figured mahogany davenport desk of exceptional quality, fully restored and stamped 'Gillows of Lancaster'. This fabulous piece is beautifully hand carved with rich patination and fine grain. The moulded and hinged fall front top is of rectangular form and is surmounted with 3/4 pierced brass gallery grille above a beautiful deep green gilt embossed tooled leather writing skiver surface which opens upwards to reveal a storage section and fitted interior with an arrangement of four drawers with turned pulls. Raised over a simple frieze with brass key and escutcheon, a single fitted short drawer, a single fitted long drawer and a pull out slide to alternating sides. The lower section with the knee hole below features gorgeous reeded panelled detailing, three reeded cupboard drawers with turned pulls to one side and a pair of stunning elegantly simple ring turned column supports to the fore. Supported on shaped panelled platform plinth base, terminating on bun foot.
Mahogany Type: 'Santos Mahogany'
Gillows of Lancaster and London
Gillows were renowned for making some of the finest mahogany furniture in England in the early 18th century. Based originally in Lancashire they opened a branch in Oxford Street, London in 1769 and quickly established a thriving business. The company had dealings with the West Indies and the imported mahogany which allowed them to produce items made of the best timber. As well as a broad metropolitan client base Gillows was also successful in supplying a great amount of furniture to a variety of northern country houses such as a considerable commission in Cheshire for the Marquess (later Duke) of Westminster at Eaton Hall as well as to the Egertons at Tatton Park. Pieces of Gillow furniture can now be seen in museums in London, Leeds, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Auckland, as well as a collection in the Gillow Museum in the Judges' Lodgings, Lancaster. The furniture can also be seen in houses open to the public such as Tatton Park, Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall as part of the decorative arts collections
Dimensions:
H: 33.5 in / 85 cm W: 20 in / 50.8 cm D: 22 in / 55.8 cm
Stock Reference No: A3636
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