Antique Burr Walnut Kidney Writing Table Desk Bureau Plat C1860 19th C

This is a fabulous quality antique Victorian burr walnut kidney shaped writing table, circa 1860 in date.

 The shaped top features a three quarter brass gallery with an inset gold tooled brown leather writing surface. the frieze has three useful drawers and it is raised on on gothic tracery pierced end supports joined by a fluted and turned stretcher, on scrolled legs and the original castors.

With working locks and key.

 

It is kidney shaped and finished on all sides so that it can stand freely in the centre of a room.

 

Condition:

In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned, polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 80 cm x Width 110 cm x Depth 58 cm

Dimensions in inches:

Height 2 foot, 7 inches x Width 3 foot, 7 inches x Depth 1 foot, 11 inches

Walnut & Burr Walnut

Walnut is a hard, dense, tight- grained wood that polishes to a very smooth finish. It is a popular and attractive wood whose colour ranges from near white in the sapwood to a dark hew in the heartwood. When dried in a kiln, walnut wood tends to develop a dull brown colour, but when air-dried can become a rich purplish-brown. Because of its colour, hardness and grain, it is a prized furniture and carving wood. Walnut veneer was highly priced and the cost would reflect the ‘fanciness’ of the veneer – the more decorative, then the more expensive and desirable.

Burr walnut refers to the swirling figure present in nearly all walnut when cut and polished, and especially in the wood taken from the base of the tree where it joins the roots. However the true burr is a rare growth on the tree where hundreds of tiny branches have started to grow. Burr walnut produces some of the most complex and beautiful figuring you can find.

Walnut "burrs" were often used to make fabulous furniture.  Veneer sliced from walnut burl is one of the most valuable and highly prized by cabinet makers and prestige car manufacturers and is also a favourite material for shotgun stocks.

 Inlay was commonly used in the production of decorative burr walnut furniture, where pieces of coloured veneers are inlaid into the surface of the walnut, adding delicate or intricate patterns and designs.

Our reference: A4294