Engraved Dragon Secretaire Cabinet

Continental fruitwood secretaire cabinet, late 17th century/…
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Continental fruitwood secretaire cabinet, late 17th century/ early 18th century, all-over engraved decoration of dragons, foliate and geometric designs, the upper part with a fall-front enclosing a leather writing surface and a fitted interior, above two long drawers, raised on bracket feet, height 119 cm width 84 cm depth 39 cm. provenance: Hartley cook at Grafton Galleries, Double Bay, c. 1964, the Estate of Don and Victoria fish, Sydney

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  • Fruitwood - A catch-all term used to describe the wood of any of several fruit-bearing trees, such as the apple, cherry, or pear, used especially in cabinetmaking.

    With a blond colour when finished, fruitwood was used in Europe, especially France, in the 18th and 19th centuries for larger items of furniture such as tables, chairs, cabinets and bookcases but in England its use was generally restricted to decorative elements such as inlays.
  • Provenance - A term used to describe the provable history of an antique or work of art, and thus an additional aid to verifying its authenticity. Provenance can have an inflating effect on the price of an item, particularly if the provenance relates to the early settlement of Australia, a famous person, or royalty. Less significant are previous sales of the item through an auction house or dealer.
  • Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
  • Bracket Feet - On bracket feet the corner edge is square and joined by a mitre to its partner on the opposite angle. The inner edge is usually shaped or scalloped. Bracket feet were first introduced in the early 18th century and used until c. 1830 and are found on carcase furniture such as chests, cabinets, bookcases and bureaux.

    Ogee bracket feet, a variation on straight bracket feet, have the outside edge forming an "S" shaped curve with the top bulging outward and the bottom turning inward.

    On splayed bracket feet, the exterior edge curves outward.
  • Fall Front - Furniture with a hinged flap, usually associated with desks and secretaires, that opens or 'falls' to provide a flat writing surface. The flap may be supported by chains or brass quadrants and rest on wooden supports or runners, known as lopers, that pull out from a recess in either side of the piece. The interior of a fall-front desk is usually fitted with small drawers and pigeonholes.

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