The humble desk has been around since the early part of the 17th century, although a desk dating from around 1450 can be seen in Lincoln Cathedral in England. These early desks were primarily made from oak or walnut and two main types existed, one called a desk and one called a bureau. The “desk” of the day comprised a sloped box on a stand and the “bureau” was the term for a sloping box with drawers. It is this version that has adopted the term desk in today’s language. The basic design has been modified over the years, with the French giving us the “roll top” version in the late 17th century. This consisted of a desk with a rounded top, which when rotated, disappeared into the desk.
The modern design common today appeared around 1700 and early versions even provided a small cupboard at the rear of the “knee hole” for extra storage capacity. Towards the end of the 19th century, the basic desk became a much more refined piece of furniture and it was common to have turned, fluted legs supporting a mahogany desktop. The most famous furniture maker of them all, Chippendale, produced some fine specimens of writing desk with plain cabriole legs and ogee feet. Tables were often carved into a serpentine shape and had the extra “knee hole” storage cupboard popular with the versions of earlier times. They were often supplied to wealthy estate owners and were huge in comparison to the modern desk. It was not unusual to have a desk which was over 6 feet long and 4 feet deep. The use of inlays of different wood styles also became prevalent around this time and many beautiful examples still exist, using rosewood and satinwood.
So, if you want an antique desk, what should you look for when buying?
Well, firstly stand back and look at the desk. Desks of any great age will have shrunk and will not have the exact uniformity of modern furniture. It should also exhibit some wear and tear on the corners, don’t forget that it may have been in existence for over two hundred years and been subjected to hundreds of documents and users, so you can expect it to shown some sign of wear, particularly on corners. Look inside the drawers for signs of modern life such as precisely made joints or an over abundance of glue. The use of round head nails is also a sign of a modern piece. The usual motto is that if a piece looks too good to be true then it probably is!
Secondly look at the finish of the desk top. The makers of antique furniture took great pride in the finish of the wood, particularly on desk tops, and any purchase should be examined closely for the fine grained finish and beautiful luster of wood that only an expert hand can provide.
Finally question the seller for evidence of the longevity of the piece. Photographs, letters and other written material can be useful evidence to corroborate its age.
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I am considering an early 19th century rosewood office desk that is in very good condition. The selling price is set at $6400.00 and I can’t get the owner to budge from the price. My question is: should I be concerned when I open the drawers and they all have new construction inside the drawer proper?