A GEORGE III MAHOGANY ARCHITECT'S DESK

CIRCA 1800, ATTRIBUTED TO GILLOWS OF LANCASTER

Details

A GEORGE III MAHOGANY ARCHITECT'S DESK
circa 1800, attributed to Gillows of Lancaster
With rectangular banded top above a hinged fall front enclosing an interior with alphabetical compartments and sliding leather-lined writing surface on square tapering legs with brass feet and casters, stamped GILLOWS LANCASTER, the lock stamped I BRAMAH PATENT with a crown
35in. (89cm.) high, 49in. (125cm.) wide, 31in. (79cm.) deep

Provenance

Sotheby's New York, 25 January 1986, lot 146

Lot Essay

A virtually identical design for a writing-table supplied to J. Shuckburgh, Esq. and dated 1794 is in the Gillows archives (illustrated in L. Boynton, ed., Gillow Furniture Designs 1760-1800, 1995, pl.41). A pedestal desk of this model was supplied by the firm to Sir Walter Scott for his house on Castle Street in Edinburgh. It appears in a drawing dated 1832 of Scott's study at Abbotsford where it remains (reproduced in C. Wainwright, The Romantic Interior, 1989, p.195, pl.162). Another of this model was sold Christie's London, 9 July 1987, lot 104.