Antique Fine George II Burr & Figured Walnut Bureau C1730 18th Century

This is a fine and elegant antique George II Walnut bureau, circa 1730 in date.

It has been beautifully crafted from figured walnut and burr walnut with delightful feather banding that enhances the elegant Georgian design.

The fall opens to reveal a superb fitted interior comprising eight small drawers, six pigeon holes and a central cupboard, perfect for storing your personal items, and a decorative inset gold tooled tan leather writing surface.

Below the fall are four long graduated drawers which provide excellent storage space, and the drawer linings are made of solid oak with handcut dovetails.

The brass handles and escutcheons are original, which is rare, and it is raised on shaped bracket feet.

There is no mistaking the sophisticated quality and design of this bureau and it is sure to receive the maximum amount of attention wherever it is placed in your home.

Condition:

In excellent condition. As an antique item, the bureau show signs of use commensurate with age, these minor condition issues are mentioned for accuracy and, as seen in the accompanying photographs, the bureau displays beautifully.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 102 x Width 93 x Depth 53

Dimensions in inches:

Height 40.2 x Width 36.6 x Depth 20.9

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: A1059