Victorian Carved Oak Writing Table by Maple and Co

An impressive mid-Victorian writing , or library, table. Very well made from solid English oak by the renowned makers of Maple and Co. of London. The mid-brown oak now has developed a nice colour and patina. The whole table is decorated with carved detailing, to all four sides so that it could be free standing within a room if required. To the front are a pair of drawers. The top is fitted with a sumptuous read leather writing surface, decorated with gilt tooling. The whole table stands well on twin barley twist columns , united by a further twin barley twist under-stretcher. This lovely table is offered for sale in excellent original condition, ready to go straight into the home.

Dimensions:

Width 105cms

Depth 65cms

Height 76cms

Maple & Co was established by John Maple, a shopkeeper from Horley, Surrey, who later opened a furniture shop in Tottenham Court Road. However it was his son, John Blundell Maple , who made Maples & Co a success. With exceptional business skills, John B. Maple took over the company while still a young man. By the 1880s they were the largest furniture store in the world, exported their fine furniture to every continent.

Maples manufactured their luxury furniture entirely in-house, at a huge modern complex. A timber importer and furniture exporter, they landed prestigious contracts furnishing fine houses, hotels, embassies and palaces in Europe; among them Tsar Nicholas’s Winter Palace and the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna . With his own empire established, John Blundell Maple achieved further fame in politics and horseracing – some lines, such as the Atherstoke antique cabinet, having racing connections in the titles.

Never compromising on quality, Maples produced a huge catalogue of fine furniture, covering every avenue of interior design. A Maples & Co sale today would cover everything from Chippendale Revival antique dining chairs , to Aesthetic style carved oak dressers, to Art Nouveau tulip carved antique dining tables – all from the same catalogue.

The exclusivity and high quality of craftsmanship of Maples’ antique cabinets, dining suites and bedroom furniture made them highly popular with Britain’s social elite. Today, they appeal to anyone who appreciates fine craftsmanship.