Antique Burr Walnut Desk Compendium with Calendar Top

• Burr - Burr (or in the USA, burl) is the timber from the knotted roots or deformed branch of the tree, which when cut, displays the small circular knots in various gradations of colour. It is always cut into a decorative veneer, most commonly seen as burr walnut on 19th century furniture.
• Patination / Patina - In broad terms, patination refers to the exterior surface appearance of the timber, the effect of fading caused by exposure to sunlight and air over the course of a century or more, changing the piece to a soft, mellow colour.
  
  As patina is very difficult to replicate, it is one of the most important guides to determining the age of furniture.
  
  Patina is also the term applied to the bloom or film found on old bronzes due to oxidisation.
• Compendium - A compendium is usually a wooden box that has several compartments and drawers for storing the various items. A stationery compendium would be used for storing and organizing various personal or business items including documents, business cards, passports, and other items that need to be organized and easily accessible. It is typically a wooden box t
  
  A compendium for correspondence would usually have pockets for holding different sizes of envelopes, and sometimes may have a built-in address book or a calendar. It can also have a pen loop or holder, and sometimes a calculator.
  
  
  A compendium for games would usually have pockets for holding game pieces, cards and sometimes rule books. It can also have a space for a chess or checkers board.
  
  
  
  A sewing compendium would have compartments for thimbles, bobbins, needles etc.
  
  

This item has been included into following indexes:

• boxes, function - desk tidy / desk compendium 43
• desk compendiums - desk accessories 74