A Rare Colonial Breakfront Bookcase in Calamander Wood
A Very Fine Writing Desk Firmly Attributed to Wright & Mansfield
Circa 1830
Circa 1860
Of four door breakfront form, rising from a plinth base; the four blind panelled doors enclosing shelved interiors, interspersed with free standing lotus capped columns: the upper section with four glazed doors with carved lancet arch astragals, betwixt conforming columns, and surmounted with an everted cornice. Coromandel Coast Region. DIMENSIONS:
Our bookcase has concordances with designs illustrated in Thomas King’s 1829 edition of ‘The Modern Style of Cabinet Work Exemplified’ and John Loudon’s 1833 ‘Encyclopedia of Cottage, Fram & Villa Architecture & Furniture’.
Constructed in coromandel, with extensive gilt brass work fittings; rising from castor shod toupie feet, the two pedestals housing three lockable graduated drawers, with gilt brass cock beadings, and foliate cast swan neck handles; three long drawers in the apron, the fielded panelled sides having fitted extensible slides; the writing surface with an inset tooled leather, and having an outer moulded gilt brass guard edging; the superstructure of gilt brass trellis work, housed within turned and fluted columns, incorporating an upper shelf with an arcaded gilt brass gallery.
Calamander, sometimes known as Coromandel, is indigeneous to South East India, Ceylon and Asia, and is a member of the Ebony genus.
A virtually identical desk stamped Wright & Mansfield 104 New Bond Street, but in satinwood, was offered on the London market in June 2004.
REFERENCE:
DIMENSIONS:
7444
H:
36.5 in:
REFERENCE:
H:
94 in:
239 cm
93 cm
W:
106 in:
270 cm
W:
54 in: 1367 cm
D:
21 in:
54 cm
D:
22 in:
56 cm
1766