Inlaid Mahogany Cylinder Bureau by Maple and Co

A fine quality inlaid mahogany cylinder bureau, or desk, of generous proportions. Maple and Co made this bureau in several sizes, this is the largest model. It is made from the highest grade of solid mahogany timber, even the drawer linings are characteristically mahogany. The whole desk is designed in the Sheraton style and is decorated with inlay throughout with restrain. The cylinder fall is fitted with stunning flame mahogany veneers , which are also to be found to the top of the desk. The cylinder fall is counter-weighted and easily opens by pulling out the writing surface. The interior of the bureau is also in solid mahogany with a series of pigeon holes, small drawers , black leather writing surface and the original ink wells are also present. Above the cylinder there is an arrangement of 3 drawers. Below the cylinder is an arrangement of one long central drawer flanked by two pairs of shorter drawers. All drawers are fitted with their original brass handles (the exact type particular to Maple and Co). This bureau is finished to all four sides with equal quality and the inlay also continues throughout. So it could stand well in the center of a room or against a wall. It stands on elegant tapering legs which terminate in the original brass castors.

This desk is in immaculate condition. It has a beautiful colour and patina and free from any defects. It is ready to go straight into the home, or office.

Dimensions:

Width 122cms

Depth 59cms

Height 113cms

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.