Antique Victorian Burr Walnut Pedestal Desk 19th C

This is a superb antique Victorian burr walnut twin pedestal desk, Circa 1880 in date.

It is made from fabulous burr walnut, the rounded rectangular top with a fabulous inset gold tooled green leather writing surface and it features an elegant ogee moulded edge.

It has an arrangement of three drawers in the frieze over a pair of pedestals each with three graduated drawers, all fitted with the original handles, it stands on a plinth base and is raised on brass castors.

Complete with the original locks and keys, the locks stamped:

"Hobbs & Co. London"

Instil the elegance of a bygone era to a special place in your home with this fabulous decorative antique desk.

Condition:

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

Dimensions in cm:

Height 77 x Width 122 x Depth 75

Dimensions in inches:

Height 30.3 x Width 48.0 x Depth 29.5

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.

Inlay was commonly used in the production of decorative burr walnut furniture, where pieces of coloured veneers are inlaid into the surface of the walnut, adding delicate or intricate patterns and designs. Inlays normally use various exotic veneers, but other materials such as mother-of-pearl, brass or bone were also be used.

Our reference: A1432