Images(3)

Desk and bookcase

Dateca. 1740

OriginIreland

MediumMahogany, oak, brass, and glass.

DimensionsOH: 83 1/4"; OW: 34 3/4"; OD: 30"

Credit LineGift of Hiram J. Halle

Object number1937-277

DescriptionDescription:
Desk and bookcase. Upper Case: bookcase section with pair of mirrored doors with rounded top corners over two drawers, surmounted by a broken scroll pediment with carved rosettes and central cartouche of a carved shell. Interior of bookcase has three moveable shelves. Lower Case: writing table with four square legs, chamfered on inner corner, one long drawer with applied carved skirt and two additional cabriole legs with paw feet at front corners of drawer. Interior of drawer divided into three sections running front to back. The outer two sections are higher than the central section, allowing two drawers on each side to be pulled out from below the outer sections into the central section. The outer two sections were originally partitioned (partitions missing). Missing a writing surface that would have been supported by half dovetailed grooves in the sides of the drawer. Top of writing table is hinged at front edge and supported by a ratcheted support on its back creating a slanted writing surface. A bookstop rises as the writing surface is lifted. A pen tray swivels out from the proper left side of the drawer.

Construction:
The desk is entirely mahogany with the exception of the drawer blade and drawer supports which are oak. On the desk, the sides, back and drawer blade are tenoned into the stiles, and the upper front rail is dovetailed into the top of the stiles. The stiles are integral with the legs which have been notched to form them. The drawer blade rests in the “L” shaped notch of the front legs and is screwed to them from above. The notch provides needed width for the drawer. The notch in the rear legs provides needed width and depth for the drawer.

The front section (writing surface) of the top is hinged at the front with iron butt hinges. Beneath it is an inner frame formed by the upper front rail and a back rail that is dovetailed into the case sides about half way back. The side rails of the inner frame are tenoned into the front and back rails. The frame’s panel rests in rabbets in the rails and is secured on the upper side with a mitered quarter round molding glued and nailed into the rabbet. The panel is notched on both ends to hold an easel. A lath rail is screwed to the under-side of the top and joined with butt hinges to two vertical support laths that are in turn lap-joined to a horizontal lath for stability, thus forming an easel. The vertical laths of the easel rest in a series of notches (of the panel) to enable adjusting of the angle of the writing surface.

A flat thin book-rest exactly fits into a matching slot in the writing surface. Custom iron springs, inset in the underside of the writing surface, push the book rest up from its almost flush position to form a book rest when the writing surface is raised. When the writing surface is lowered, the spring compresses lowering the book rest. The springs fit into notches in the upper front rail.

Behind the writing surface, the fixed back section of the top is attached to the back rail of the inner frame; possible additional attachments are hidden by applied moldings. Three modern rectangular glue blocks replace earlier blocks to join the fixed top to the case back rail. A mitered molding is nailed and glued to the edges of the upper side of the fixed top to receive and stabilize the bookcase. Both the writing surface and fixed top have integral molded edges.

The large drawer and front legs are entirely mahogany except for the drawer back and modern drawer runners which are oak. On the large drawer, the front is comprised of two boards laminated with glue. A major section of the inner board has been cut away in the center providing single board depth for the lock and providing for a possible extended center of the sliding writing surface (now missing).

The drawer sides are dovetailed to the inner front board and to the back. The front-most board of the front is tenoned into the legs. The drawer bottom is nailed from the underside to the edge of the back and set (probably nailed) into rabbets in the drawer sides and front. Runners on the underside of the sides are glued in place and cover any possible evidence of nails. Likewise lath glued under the joining in the front also covers any possible nail evidence. That lath is butt joined flush with the underside of the inner front board, and under that joining are chamfered rectangular glue blocks which in turn are glued to the back side of the outer front board.

A beveled notch on the upper edge of the interior of the sides extends the full length of the sides and provides a track for the missing sliding writing surface. A 1 5/8” x 7 7/8” panel, hinged at one end, is cut out of the proper left drawer side towards the front; the only remaining element of a swiveling pen compartment.

The four small interior drawers are of dovetail construction with bottoms nailed and glued into rabbets in the front and glued into rabbets in the sides and backs.

The highly carved drawer skirt is glued to the drawer front. It is butt joined to cabriole legs carved with shells on knees and paw feet with casters and mitered on the inside corner, flaring out at the feet. Holes are drilled in the foot bottoms to accommodate original casters, the plates of which are joined with three screws to the bottoms of the feet.

Oak drawer supports are glued to the sides and notched to overlap the upper surface of the notched area of the rear legs and to overlap the underside of the drawer blade. Evidence indicates earlier thin mahogany drawer runners glued to the top of the drawer supports extended to the front of the drawer blade. Due to wear, they have been covered with modern runners.

Shaped corner blocks are glued at the joining of the legs and stiles. Shaped and carved blocks are glued to the front legs and sides, visually continuing the carving on the legs of the drawer.

On the bookcase, the mahogany top and the fixed shelf of the cabinet are probably sliding dovetailed to the sides which extend 3 ¼“ above the top and 5” below the fixed shelf. The fixed oak shelf is faced with mahogany and on the front extends ½’ beyond the sides to accommodate the doors when closed. The mahogany lower front rail is dovetailed to the bottom of the sides and functions as the drawer blade for the two drawers below the cabinet doors. Mahogany blocks are glued to the leading edges of the sides below the doors to bring them flush with the lower rail/drawer blade. A mahogany drawer divider is tenoned into the drawer blade and the underside of the cabinet bottom shelf.

Oak outer drawer supports are nailed inside the bottom edge of the sides from the sides, and a single board central support for both drawers is dovetailed and nailed to the backboard and tenoned into the drawer blade. A central drawer guide is nailed from below to the central cabinet drawer support. The underside of the cabinet bottom shelf has been gouged to receive drawer lock tongues.
The back is of five butt joined oak horizontal boards nailed with wrought nails into rabbets in the sides and to the back edge of the top and of the fixed cabinet shelf.

The mahogany top rail is nailed to the edge of the top and to the leading edge of the sides. Chamfered glue blocks reinforce the joining of the top rail and sides. The pediment extends above the top and is (probably) lap joined to the upper edge of the top rail, and the combined board veneered with mahogany. The single piece mitered cornice molding is glued to the sides, top rail and pediment. The two “S” curves and the central plinth of the pediment are each supported from behind with shaped vertical ½” boards glued (perpendicular to the pediment)to rectangular chamfered blocks that are in turn glued to the back of the pediment and the upper surface of the top. The applied carved shell and leaves is glued to the face of the pediment plinth, and the applied carved rosettes are glued to the cornice molding. Inside the cabinet are 13 integral drawer supports on each side, spaced to create 12 dados into which the three adjustable shelves slide. The shelves are oak, faced with double beaded mahogany.

The rails of the cabinet doors are tenoned into the stiles. The front of the doors are edged with integral quarter round molding. On the back of the doors, looking glasses are set in rabbets on the inside of the rails and stiles with glue blocks holding them in place. Mahogany panels with integral quarter round edges are screwed to the stiles and rails covering the back of the looking glass.

The two drawers are of dovetail construction with bottoms fit into dados in the front, set in rabbets in the sides with runners flush with the bottom edges of the sides glued to the bottom. Inside the proper right drawer at the proper left rear corner, a crudely made box is nailed to the bottom. The sides of the box are nailed to each other and to the box bottom. The nails are early, but the box is possibly not original.
Label TextA regional or national Irish type, this desk is one of a large group of this unusual form. The pull-out writing section is supported on the unexpected combination of cabriole legs superimposed over straight marlboro legs. The writing interior is nicely constructed with a full complement of drawers and compartments, and its top lifts forward to form a slanted work surface supported with a ratchet mechanism. Adjustable bookshelves are situated in the top section behind the mirrored doors.

Stylistically, this example relates to the late baroque or George II fashion, however its final design is an Irish development that combines academic features in an unconventional manner. Some of the carvings on the skirt is of a naive or folk origin, but the workmanship is very high quality throughout, which illustrates the point that excellent craftsmanship, professional tradition, and academic design are not necessarily mutual.
MarkingsMailing tag in one drawer with key attached; printing on tag reads: "Louis Wine/31/32 Grafton St./Dublin" (see object file)
ProvenanceLouis Wine LTD, Dublin, Ireland, ca. 1931-1932.