Bryer House Antiques & Interiors
Chesapeake, VA
Details
- Dimensions
- 44.5ʺW × 22ʺD × 95.5ʺH
- Styles
- English Traditional
- Table Knee Clearance
- 1.0 in
- Table Shape
- Rectangle
- Period
- Late 19th Century
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Item Type
- Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
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- Materials
- Oak
- Pine
- Walnut
- Condition
- Good Condition, Restored, Some Imperfections
- Color
- Brown
- Condition Notes
- Great Vintage Condition - Patina of use related wear marks under fresh polish. Slight shrinkage cracks/gaps as to be expected. Great Vintage Condition - Patina of use related wear marks under fresh polish. Slight shrinkage cracks/gaps as to be expected. less
- Description
-
An impressive English Queen Anne style bureau bookcase under a rare single dome top. Finished with cross grain walnut moldings …
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An impressive English Queen Anne style bureau bookcase under a rare single dome top. Finished with cross grain walnut moldings and crossbanded and featherbanded burl veneer drawers with oak and red-washed pine secondary woods. The interiors contain an impressive myriad of hand sawn dovetailed drawers, pigeonholes, folio slots, column slides, cupboards, and a recessed desk well. Tombstone shaped raised panel doors close and lock over upper compartments. The lockable fold down desk surface is covered in green tooled leather. Below the desk surface are 2 narrow drawers and 2 wide drawers. All drawers are assembled with hand sawn dovetail joints at the front and back. Evidence of use with various ink stains to desk interior and interiors of numerous drawers and old wear under dark wax polish.
The bureau seems to have been restored making it hard to pin down a date of creation. There is evidence of earlier style drop pull hardware having been installed through a single hole slightly above the current 2 hole mounted brasses. This earlier hole has been plugged and veneered over on the lower 2 wide drawers (see photo of drawer front interior) and the evidence of a center mounted drop pull on the 2 narrower drawers has been nearly lost entirely due to the later addition of locks and escutcheons in the center of these drawers (locks are each different and all appear to be late 19th c.). Evidence of friction wear on the bottom edges of the large drawers sides (see photo) but drawers are currently soothly sliding on later glue block runners. There is clear evidence of arched saw marks on the drawer bottoms suggesting a date on these parts no earlier than the later 19th c. Wear on the interior frame and chamfered panel dust boards are inconsistent with drawer movement and seem to suggest parts of this piece may have been salvaged from a different item. Modern wire nails were added to reinforce the moldings but there are also antique cut nails securing parts of the drawers. Old hide glue as well as a couple different types of more modern glues can be seen on the backs and undersides showing the work of multiple hands over the years. The backboards are sealed with glued up strips of cloth and newsprint to prevent the ingress of dust. Part of this newsprint on the upper dome portion appears to be from an English publication of the 1990s. Perhaps this was the last phase of restorations? This is likely Victorian or an English benchmade recreation using antique fragments in the style of a 1710-1720s example. It is a stunning piece.
The top lifts off the base for easy moving. less
Bryer House Antiques & Interiors
Chesapeake, VA
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