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| | Antique Regency
Metamorphic Campaign Writing desk circa 1815
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The box opens to a sloping writing writing surface covered in red
velvet.
There are sections for pens and inkwells with secret drawers beneath.
The back part telescopes up providing a nest of four drawers of
dovetail construction with countersunk brass handles.
The back is held in place (both open and closed) by a catches
on both sides
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The whole box is edged with brass which is both ornamental and
protective.
On the front back and top there is further decoration with brass
inlay. The accents to the corners depicting stylized fleur
dis lis.
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The fleur-de-lis (also spelled fleur-de-lys; plural
fleurs-de-lis or -lys; an archaic spelling is fleur-de-luce) is used in
heraldry, where it is particularly associated with the French monarchy
(see King of France). The fleur-de-lis remains an unofficial symbol of
France (along with the Bees and the Napoleonic eagle), but has not been
used as an official symbol by the various French republics.
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In this photo the back part is lowered
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In this photo the back part is partially raised.
The back with its nest of four drawers telescopes out. There are catches
on both sides to hold it in both the open and closed positions.
There are sections for pens and inkwells with secret drawers beneath
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The lock is robust.
This box has been built on the "Strong box" principal.
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The key to the box; it is designed to avoid the wards and still be
strong enough to push the lever bolt of the lock.
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The drawers are mahogany and
of dovetail construction. They have rosewood facings to the front with
countersunk brass handles.
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The drawers are big enough to be useful for a purpose.
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The dark rosewood contrasts with the brass and the mahogany of the
structure.
Below the pen tray a curved hollow. At this date it still has a
turned bone pull.
Two of the compartments have lids. They are inlaid with brass, veneered
with rosewood, and have embossed brass ring handles.
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The drawers are mahogany and
of dovetail construction. They have saw cut rosewood facings (about 1mm
thick) to the front with
countersunk brass handles.
The dovetail cutters scribe
line is still visible.
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There are sections for pens and inkwells, and wax wafers.
Beneath, and accessible when the flap is lifted there are secret drawers
concealed behind a sprung solid rosewood panel.
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Beneath, and accessible when the flap is lifted there are secret
drawers concealed behind a sprung solid rosewood panel.
Two of the compartments have lids. They are inlaid with brass, veneered
with rosewood, and have embossed brass ring handles.
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The panel concealing the
secret drawers is released by pulling up the side of the inkwell
compartment.
The catch is visible in the
photo.
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The panel which conceals the secret drawers is solid rosewood.
The catch plate, which engages with the levered catch is inlaid into
the rosewood. It is secured with steel screws ground flat.
The spring is steel; the other hole is to accommodate one of the
pulls of the secret drawers.
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The box has two keys: the Main and one for the upper flap.
The whole locking mechanism is robust..
I think the person who commissioned this box had a box broken
into.
The lock is strong, but simple; it only relies on strength and wards
for security.
It is quite a writing desk in a box: it looks impressive; you. the user
have prepared drawers. It would have to survive shaking.
The handles of the drawers are at the time innovative.
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The box has countersunk brass handles to the sides. They are
in the early skeletal form which was first introduced in the 1790's.
The brass edging is held in place by pins driven in at an angle.
The handles are held in place by steel screws. The heads are ground
flat with the surface.
From about 1820 brass screws were introduced.
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The box has two associated period screw-top inkwells.
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Back with the drawers
lowered.
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Back with the drawers raised.
The rosewood figure is dramatic.
There is a patch in the rosewood bottom right.
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The drawer section is held up by catches on both sides.
When the catches are pushed in the back section can be lowered.
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Detail of the hinge.
I love that all the screws are different.
The slots are never quite the same in position or depth or
size.
The screws are steel.
The scribe lines are visible.
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The handles are held in place by steel screws. The heads are ground
flat with the surface.
From about 1820 brass screws were introduced.
The introduction in different workshops varies.
The skeletal handle was difficult to make and problematic
to inlay; nothing is straight!
The brass plate is cast, and then ground and filed and then filed
some more.
Cutting out the wood to receive the handle would have been a long
hard job.
I am not surprised that the fashion moved to a fuller design.
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| The rosewood is well figured.
The top back and front are orchestrated with ornamental brass inlay.
The escutcheon plate, which is unsigned or engraved, is, I think unique
for the period.
The accents to the corners depict stylized fleur
dis lis.
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Under both flaps there are compartments for storing papers.
The surface is lightly shellacked.
This process was introduced at about this time.
The slope is constructed from three pieces of wood joined with tongue
and groove joints. The two sides are straight grained stable mahogany:
the wood in the center is again straight grain but lighter in both
colour and weight.
This box is an innovator.
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All text and images and linked images are ©
1999-2016 Antigone Clarke and Joseph O'Kelly. If you require any further
information on permitted use, or a licence to republish any material, email us
at copyright@hygra.com
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