Desk on stand

Physical description

[Stand] Stand: four baluster legs (very degraded) joined above by carved, moulded and stamped rails (double-pegged to the legs), those in front and behind resting on nailed-up brackets and all ornamented with bands of stamped rosettes and grooved borders; plain modern stretchers (sigle-pegged to the legs) connect the three legs below and the whole rests on four modern ball feet.
[Desk] Desk of boarded oak with nailed iron straps and nailed mouldings. The top, partly sloping, is formed of three boards running side to side which are bound by nine iron bands, the middle one of which is broken by a medallion pierced with scrollwork, while similar ornaments are arragned between the other bands; the rest of the external surface is also strengthened by bands, the sides being further fitted with semi-circular drop-handles and the front with a pierced lock plate. Inside is a compartment, the lid of which is formed by the back portion of the top, which is hinged to the back of the desk and to which in turn, the sloping portion is hinged; this compartment contains three wells, closed by lids, and two?three drawers (oak, nailed) below, which conceal a narrow upright softwood drawer. The bottom is formed of four thin boards running front to back.

Although the some (at least) of the ironwork appears to be old, the wood boards forming the body of the desk all appear to be new (machine cut), and a dark stain applied over nailed mouldings - strongly suggesting that this is a modern assemblage incorporating old iron mounts, on an unrelated, heavily restored small table.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (made)

Date

17th century (made)
late 19th century (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Dimensions

Height: 70 cm, Width: 38.2 cm, Depth: 49.7 cm

Object history note

Bought for £15 from W.H. Spiller F.S.A., Crowhurst, College Road, Upper Norwood, London SE "much worm eaten, damaged; portions missing". RF 03/18889

Lent to Sutton Coldfield Central Library 1963-64.
On loan to Tamworth Castle from 19xx.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

H. Clifford Smith, Catalogue of English Furniture & Woodwork (London 1930), cat. 583.
Desk and Stand. The top of the desk, (which is partly sloping,) and the rest of the surface, is bound by iron bands pierced with scrollwork, the sides being fitted with semicircular drop-handles and the front with a pierced lock-plate. Inside is a compartment containing three wells closed by lids, and three drawers below concealing a narrow upright receptacle open at the top. The four baluster legs of the stand are joined above by rails, ornamented with bands of stamped rosettes and grooved borders, those in front and behind resting on brackets. The stretchers and the four ball feet are modern.

The desk, 16th century; the stand, 17th century.
from catalogue: H. 3 ft. ¾ in., W. 21 in., D. 14 7/8 in. (H. 93.4 cm, W. 53.3 cm, D. 37.8 cm)

Categories

Furniture; Woodwork

Collection code

FWK