18th Century Mahogany Bureau Bookcase

This is a beautifully made piece of late eighteenth century furniture with an abundance of lovely little details which are best seen by viewing the photos, but I will summarise some of them here:

The base stands on bracket feet and has three large cockbeaded drawers made from beautifully figured wood, and all bearing the original brass oval plate handles. The sloping fall front (with working lock and key) has what appears to be the original brown leather writing surface inside, and a lovely combination of arch top pigeonholes, small drawers, and a little cupboard with a hidden drawer inside, all decorated with inlays. The sides of the bureau have an unusual line inlay which echoes the line of the sloping front.

The top has glazed doors with what appears to be the original Georgian glass. The oval glazed area has a cross banded border and very pretty shaped glazing bars with a tulip detail. The interior has adjustable shelves and bears the original red painted finish. Topping the cabinet is a pierced and carved pediment, again in a floral design.

The top lifts of the base for transportation. The shelves have had a plate support strip added along the back so that plates can be displayed, but this could easily be removed if it was to be used as a book case instead.

Condition: Overall this is in good condition with a few small repairs here and there, as follows. The rear left bracket foot has had an area replaced. There are various areas of veneer on the upper section that have been replaced, but this has been neatly done. A piece of the line inlay on the side of the base has obviously been lost at some stage and been repaired with a plain piece of wood. One of the pieces of glass in the upper doors is cracked but as it is stable, and is the original glass, I would be very reluctant to try and replace it. The escutcheon is missing from the central base drawer. The key in the glazed doors, and in the little cupboard inside the base, are stuck in the locks - I suspect they have been glued in so that they act as a handle. We have added a catch to the lead door in the top section as it wouldn’t stay closed otherwise. The sides of the upper section have bowed a little, which you don’t notice until you try to adjust the shelf positions - they need a bit of a tap on the underside to make them slot into their new position properly but once in are secure. There are some old woodworm holes in the back panel which we have treated as a precaution. There are some minor surface marks and wear throughout in accordance with age and use.

Dimensions:

Width - 109cm

Depth - 54cm

Height - 216cm (the height of the actual cabinet, excluding the pediment, is 203.5cm)

Mainland UK delivery (excluding the Scottish highlands) is included in the price - if you would like a quote for delivery elsewhere, or if you would like to collect the item yourself, please get in touch. Delivery of furniture usually takes between 7 and 21 days from order, though can sometimes take longer. If you need an item by a certain date please speak to us prior to ordering and we’ll try to help. Please see our ‘How to Buy’ page for more information regarding delivery.

This is an antique item and as such may have signs of wear in accordance with its age. Anything that we think is of note will have been mentioned above, but please study the photos carefully to satisfy yourself as to its condition as it is not possible to list every little mark or flaw. We are happy to provide high resolution photographs or videos if required, and answer any questions you may have - just get in touch!