Regent Antiques has dated this piece to the 1700s.
It has a pair of doors which are fitted with bevelled mirror plates and they open to reveal a spacious interior fitted with adjustable shelves. Below each of the doors the bookcase is fitted with a useful candle slide.
The lower section has a very attractive fall front which opens to reveal a fitted interior with an inset gold tooled green leather writing surface. There is also a hidden well together with a bank of serpentine fronted drawers with a few useful pigeonholes.
Situated below the bureau, there are two short drawers which are located on either side of a dummy drawer. Below are two half-width drawers above two full width drawers, all of which are oak lined, banded with herringbone inlay and fitted with decorative brass escutcheons
The bookcase is raised on very substantial, bracket feet.
The bookcase is fitted with decorative brass handles, is complete with working locks and keys, and is raised on very substantial, bracket feet.
Condition:
In really excellent condition, having been beautifully cleaned, polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 209 cm x Width 106 cm x Depth 56 cm
Dimensions in inches:
Height 6 foot, 10 inches x Width 3 foot, 6 inches x Depth 1 foot, 10 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.
Queen Anne Furniture
Anne was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 8 March 1702 until 1 May 1707. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, the kingdoms of England and Scotland united as a single sovereign state known as Great Britain. Anne continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death in 1714.
The Queen Anne style of decorative arts began to evolve during the rule of King William III of England, reached its primacy during the reign of Queen Anne, and persisted after George I ascended the throne. The period has also been called “the age of walnut” because that wood was used almost exclusively in English furniture of the time, replacing oak.
The custom of social tea drinking that developed in the Queen Anne period produced a need for small movable chairs and tables, as well as for china cabinets. Bookcases and secretaries were also designed in the Queen Anne style. Marquetry, inlay, veneering, and lacquer work were all skilfully applied to the decorative furniture of Queen Anne design. Typical motifs in this ornamentation are scallop shells, scrolls, Oriental figures, animals, and plants. The Queen Anne style of furniture design became extremely popular amon
Regent Antiques has dated this piece to the 1700s.
We specialise in english and continental furniture, silver, porcelain and decorative items.
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Regent Antiques Profile Page
Regent Antiques is a registered member of LAPADA CINOA
Antique Queen Anne Burr Walnut Bureau Bookcase C1720 18th C
