Flame Mahogany Pedestal Desk by Maple and Co

A splendid late Victorian period pedestal desk by Maple and Co of London. Of fine construction in solid mahogany with attractive flame mahogany veneers and embellished with ebonised cock beeding. With a series of 9 drawers (lockable with key supplied) all fitted with their original solid brass handles, and with pull-out slides above. The top fitted with a sumptuous leather writing surface with gilt tooled decoration. The whole desk standing on ogee bracket feet, terminating in original castors. This desk is finished to the rear so it could be free-standing within a room if desired. Offered for sale in excellent condition, with a great colour and patina, ready to go straight into the home or office. Splits into 3 sections for ease of installation.

Dimensions:

Width 153cms

Depth 84cms

Height 78cms

Knee-hole height 62cms

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.