An Important George I Veneered Walnut and Inlaid Desk and Cabinet circa 1720

finely veneered overall in richly figured burr walnut with fine line inlays, the molded broken arched cornice centered by a lozenge-shaped molding enclosing a later verre églomisé panel with a cipher above two arched doors with beveled mirror plates opening to an interior fitted with two small arched fall-front cupboards above shallow cavetto-fronted drawers over small drawers flanking arched pigeon holes, and centered by two doors enclosing a cupboard with a grained interior with a shelf flanked by two document drawers concealed within pilasters with stop fluting, and with folio slides and small drawers above a further arrangement of small drawers, the fall below two candle slides and opening to a similarly fitted interior with small drawers, pigeon holes, concealed pilaster-fronted document drawers and a small cupboard with a drawer and a crossbanded writing surface above two short and three long drawers, the original brass handles with shaped back-plates, and supported on bracket feet.

With Partridge Fine Arts PLC, London, 1993

Catalogue, 'Recent Acquisitions 1993', Partridge Fine Arts PLC, no. 8, pp. 26, 27

In restored condition with small losses overall to bandings and moldings, with some lifting to banding and veneers and moldings and with some old repairs to banding, veneers and moldings overall. Overall with some age cracks and cracks due to shrinkage on cornice to fall and to sides, with some small losses and in-filling following these lines. Small platform at center of cornice with later support and with a hole indicating the former presence of another finial. Repairs to bracket feet including some interior corner re-blocking and some re-veneering. One mirror plate later - Handles appear to be original. Drawer linings with age cracks
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This exceptional cabinet is notable not only for the use of the finely figured burr walnut veneers, but also for the unusually elaborate fitted interiors with its complete arrangement found both in the upper part and within the fall, with small document drawers, pigeon holes and folio slides.

 

Possibly the first mention of this type of 'desk-and-bookcase' appears in the accounts of the Royal cabinet-maker Gerrit Jensen (fl. 1680-d.1715) who supplied several to the Royal Household from 1710 (See: Adam Bowett, English Furniture 1660-1714, From Charles II to Queen Anne, Antique Collectors' Club, Woodbridge, 2002), another, which was supplied to the 5^th Earl of Salisbury, Hatfield House, being described as 'a walnut writing desk, the top for books and patons [sic] and glass in the doors asked'. The London cabinet maker  John Gumley (1691-1727) advertised  in Richard Steele's The Lover of April 24, 1714, that he 'hath taken for a Ware-house, and furnished all the upper part of the New Exchange in the Strand' continuing with an extensive list of his stock which included 'Desks and Bookcases'. In 1714 one of these in walnut was supplied by him to James, 1^st Duke of Montrose for the sum of £11.

A closely related cabinet of similar profile was formerly in the collection of Mr. & Mrs. Jerome C. Neuhoff; this was also richly veneered in burr walnut, the arrangement of the upper part differing in having concave-fronted drawers and more elaborate gilt-metal capitals and standing figures within niches above the concealed document drawers which have gilt-metal Corinthian capitals (See: The Magazine Antiques, May 1963).