Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this exceedingly rare circa 1790 Georgian writing Library chest of drawers with desk secrataire by Gillows of Lancaster and London.
Please note the delivery fee listed is just a guide, it covers within the M25 only for the UK and local Europe only for international, if you would like an accurate quote, please send me your postcode and I’ll provide you with the exact price.
A rare find, looking through Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840 I''ve found a selection of similar examples, the drawer linings and dovetail joints are correct, as detailed in Volume I page 279 you can see the exact same fold drop mechanism for the drawer front, on page 282 you can see the exact same leather writing slope, the lock is correct, stamped PATENT under the Crown for King George III, these locks were used by Gillows between 1784-97 as detailed again on Chapter 7 page 337 Volume II.
The timber is correct for the period, Cuban or Havana Maho
...gany, a very detailed extract reads as follows. Adam Bowett has pointed out that Cuban Mahogany was first bought into England after the capture of Havana in 1762 and during the subsequent British occupation.
The desk has been sympathetically restored to include being lightly waxed and polished, the leather inserts are new, the original had totally perished, otherwise it is in stunning condition for a 220+ year old chest of drawers.
Dimensions
Height:- 98cm
Width:- 125cm
Depth:- 64cm
Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask.
Gillows of Lancaster and London, also known as Gillow & Co., was an English furniture making firm based in Lancaster, Lancashire, and in London. It was founded around in Lancaster in about 1730 by Robert Gillow (1704–1772)
Gillows was owned by the family until 1814 when it was taken over by Redmayne, Whiteside, and Ferguson; they continued to use the Gillow name.
Gillows furniture was a byword for quality, and other designers used Gillows to manufacture their furniture.
Gillows furniture is referred to by Jane Austen, Thackeray and the first Lord Lytton, and in one of Gilbert and Sullivan''s comic operas.
In 1903 Gillows merged with Warings of Liverpool to become Waring and Gillow and although the furniture remained of a high quality it was not as prestigious.
Any questions please feel free to ask.
Antique ID Number (AIDN): SA818410
Dateline of this antique is Georgian
Height is 98cm (38.6inches)Width is 125cm (49.2inches)Depth is 64cm (25.2inches)
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