CABINET ON CHEST

Description 

An exceptional "plumpudding", Cuban mahogany cabinet on stand probably made in the workshop of Robert Gillow, Lancaster. The top piece with two doors enclosing a 4X6 array of mahogany faced oak lined drawers signed with bone A-Z lettering and pulled with gilded brass drop handles.  The divisions between the drawers are decorated with relief carved and engraved wheat-husks.  The inside face of the cabinet doors reflets the solid nature of the door panels (not veneered) and their ability to move from side to side without cracking.  The lower half of the top contains a secretaire office-draw, which has a soft-leather writing surface.  The surface is held in place by two toughened steel hook-braces.
There are eight small drawers for stationary and six arcaded pigeon holes  The bottom right interior draw contains two places for ink bottles. To the centre are three vertical ledger/note book spaces.  The  two doors are panelled with torus moulding carved and engraved in relief with wheat husks.  The base unit has a full width map draw and six half-width folio/ledger drawers.  Each drawer is oak lined and has gilded swans-neck handles.  Each drawer is fitted with a lock and is faced with a unique pattern of plum pudding mahogany.  The sides of the top and base units are straight grained structural mahogany.  The cabinet stands on original ogee feet.  The back is made from panelled oak and is screwed in place with handmade screws raher than steel nails which rust in oak because oak contains tannic acid.
Country of origin

England

Age
Ca. 1770

Condition
Very good
Measurements

H : 203 cm W : 112 cm D : 56 cm