A REGENCY BROWN-OAK SECRETAIRE

細節

A REGENCY BROWN-OAK SECRETAIRE
The canted rectangular marble top above two short mahogany-lined frieze drawers flanked by bronzed lion-masks, above a brass quarter-filleted panelled fall-front enclosing a later gilt-tooled black leather-lined writing-surface and a fitted interior of six large pigeon-holes above four graduated mahogany-lined sliding trays with hinged secret recess below and with two small drawers to each side, flanked by three short graduated mahogany-lined drawers with ebonised handles, the lower section with two conforming panelled doors enclosing two short mahogany-lined drawers and a divided compartment with two adjustable shelves to each side, on brass feet modelled as elephants feet, lacking marble top, the locks stamped 'J. BRAMAH' below a crown, '14 PICCADILLY', the canted angles and back pilasters later veneered in burr-elm, the lion-masks possibly later
60 in. (152.5 cm.) high; 42½ in. (108 cm.) wide; 22¼ in. (56.5 cm.) deep

拍場告示

This secretaire has a later grey marble top.

拍品專文

This French-fashioned desk, with canted pilasters and bronzed Egyptian lioness-heads, follows an 1804 pedestal pattern in George Smith's, Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, 1808 (pl. 92). The 1804 pattern featured bacchic lion-paws, whereas these elephant feet are likely to be heraldic and may indicate that the secretaire was commissioned by Sir Andrew Corbet of Moreton Corbet, Staffordshire. Its bolt-like locks bear the name of Joseph Bramah (d.1814) of Piccadilly, and were executed before his move to New Bond Street in 1807.