What characterises Victorian Pollard Oak furniture?

Pollard oak furniture features distinctive, highly figured grain patterns resulting from pollarding, a pruning technique favoured by 19th-century English cabinetmakers to create decorative veneer.

What materials were traditionally used in 19th-century writing tables?

Tables from this period were crafted using high-grade hardwoods like oak or mahogany, often combined with tool-gilded leather writing surfaces and brass castors.

How can you identify authentic Victorian Gillows style desks?

Authentic pieces feature precision joinery, turned stretchers, carved trestle end supports, scroll feet, and frequently incorporate high-quality brass hardware.

How can a Victorian writing table be styled in a modern interior?

A Victorian table can serve as a central focal point in a contemporary home office or living space when paired with modern seating and minimalist task lighting.

How should an antique oak table with a leather inset be maintained?

Maintain the timber by dusting with a soft cloth and applying beeswax, while treating the leather insert with specialist conditioner to prevent drying and cracking.

for sale €4,563 $4,953

£3,900

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Oak Library Desk

English Oak Writing Table

Pollard Oak Library Table

Id #SA1226825

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Antique Victorian Pollard Oak Writing Table Desk Manner of Gillows 19th C

Name: Antique Victorian Pollard Oak Writing Table Desk Manner of Gillows 19th C
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1226825
Price: 3900 GBP
Availability: InStock

19th century

For Sale by Regent Antiques

Description

This gorgeous early Victorian antique writing table in the manner of Gillows was crafted from beautiful pollard oak and dates from Circa 1870.

The rectangular top with rounded corners features a striking tan inset leather writing surface that has beautiful hand tooled gilt decoration. It has two useful drawers and is raised on decorative trestle ends joined by a turned stretcher terminating in scroll feet and raised on brass castors.

It is finished on all sides so that it can stand freely in the middle of a room, making it extremely suitable for a large home.

Condition:

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

Dimensions in cm:

Height 73 cm x Width 145 cm x Depth 72 cm

Dimensions in inches:

Height 2 foot, 5 inches x Width 4 foot, 9 inches x Depth 2 foot, 4 inches

Pollard Oak

Pollarding is a pruning system in which the upper branches of a tree are removed, promoting a dense head of foliage and branches. It has been common in Europe since medieval times and is practised today in urban areas worldwide, primarily to maintain trees at a predetermined height. The bole of the tree, constantly cut back over a period of years, will eventually form a lump, or ‘burr’, which when sawn for veneer, gives a lovely grained, swirling figure.

The effect is similar to that of burr walnut with its distinctive speckled grain. Burrs, or ‘burls’, are growths which appear on the side of tree trunks, resulting from a tree undergoing some form of stress. They may be caused by an injury, virus or fungus.

During the 19th century great strides were made in the mechanisation of cabinet making. Marc Isambard Brunel [ Isambard Kingdom’s father] built the first steam driven saw mill, and invented a circular saw that could be used to cut veneers thinly and evenly for the first time. He also developed the first hydraulic veneer press. The figured wood cut from burrs and pollards is notoriously difficult to cut and lay: the wild grain which makes it so attractive results in a very delicate, brittle veneer. The new machines enabled the Victorian craftsmen to make the most of these beautiful timbers.

Gillow & Co.

was originally founded in Lancaster in 1730. Gillow’s of Lancaster was a household name in Victorian Britain, and the firm exported furniture throughout the Empire. Key to the company’s success was the dynamic father and son team at its core.

The London branch was opened in 1775. Among Gillow’s most successful pieces during this period were those made in the Neoclassical style from original drawings by Robert Adam. In the period 1813-1820 the Gillow family gradually withdrew from personal involvement with the business.

In 1897 Gillow & Co. merged with a Liverpool firm and they henceforth traded as Waring & Gillow.

Our reference: A5305

Physical Dimensions

Height

73cm (28.74")

Width

145cm (57.09")

Depth

72cm (28.35")

Declaration

Regent Antiques has dated this Victorian Pollard Oak Writing Table to the 1870s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1226825

Dealers Internal Reference

A5305

Description

This gorgeous early Victorian antique writing table in the manner of Gillows was crafted from beautiful pollard oak and dates from Circa 1870.

“

The rectangular top with rounded corners features a striking tan inset leather writing surface that has beautiful hand tooled gilt decoration.

Regent Antiques

It has two useful drawers and is raised on decorative trestle ends joined by a turned stretcher terminating in scroll feet and raised on brass castors.

fig 1. A 19th-century Victorian pollard oak writing table featuring a brown leather inset top, carved trestle end supports, a turned central stretcher, and scroll feet on brass castors. — fig 1. Antique Victorian Pollard Oak Writing Table Desk Manner of Gillows 19th C

It is finished on all sides so that it can stand freely in the middle of a room, making it extremely suitable for a large home.

Condition:

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

fig 2. A 19th-century Victorian pollard oak writing table featuring a brown leather inset top, carved trestle end supports, a turned central stretcher, and scroll feet on brass castors. — fig 2. Antique Victorian Pollard Oak Writing Table Desk Manner of Gillows 19th C

Dimensions in cm:

Height 73 cm x Width 145 cm x Depth 72 cm

Dimensions in inches:

Height 2 foot, 5 inches x Width 4 foot, 9 inches x Depth 2 foot, 4 inches

Pollard Oak

Pollarding is a pruning system in which the upper branches of a tree are removed, promoting a dense head of foliage and branches. It has been common in Europe since medieval times and is practised today in urban areas worldwide, primarily to maintain trees at a predetermined height. The bole of the tree, constantly cut back over a period of years, will eventually form a lump, or ‘burr’, which when sawn for veneer, gives a lovely grained, swirling figure.

The effect is similar to that of burr walnut with its distinctive speckled grain. Burrs, or ‘burls’, are growths which appear on the side of tree trunks, resulting from a tree undergoing some form of stress. They may be caused by an injury, virus or fungus.

fig 4. A 19th-century Victorian pollard oak writing table featuring a brown leather inset top, carved trestle end supports, a turned central stretcher, and scroll feet on brass castors. — fig 4. Antique Victorian Pollard Oak Writing Table Desk Manner of Gillows 19th C

During the 19th century great strides were made in the mechanisation of cabinet making. Marc Isambard Brunel [ Isambard Kingdom’s father] built the first steam driven saw mill, and invented a circular saw that could be used to cut veneers thinly and evenly for the first time. He also developed the first hydraulic veneer press. The figured wood cut from burrs and pollards is notoriously difficult to cut and lay: the wild grain which makes it so attractive results in a very delicate, brittle veneer. The new machines enabled the Victorian craftsmen to make the most of these beautiful timbers.

fig 5. A 19th-century Victorian pollard oak writing table featuring a brown leather inset top, carved trestle end supports, a turned central stretcher, and scroll feet on brass castors. — fig 5. Antique Victorian Pollard Oak Writing Table Desk Manner of Gillows 19th C

Gillow & Co.

was originally founded in Lancaster in 1730. Gillow’s of Lancaster was a household name in Victorian Britain, and the firm exported furniture throughout the Empire. Key to the company’s success was the dynamic father and son team at its core.

fig 6. A 19th-century Victorian pollard oak writing table featuring a brown leather inset top, carved trestle end supports, a turned central stretcher, and scroll feet on brass castors. — fig 6. Antique Victorian Pollard Oak Writing Table Desk Manner of Gillows 19th C

The London branch was opened in 1775. Among Gillow’s most successful pieces during this period were those made in the Neoclassical style from original drawings by Robert Adam. In the period 1813-1820 the Gillow family gradually withdrew from personal involvement with the business.

In 1897 Gillow & Co. merged with a Liverpool firm and they henceforth traded as Waring & Gillow.

Our reference: A5305