Mahogany Writing Desk with Green Leather Top

click the photo to enlarge

A small English mahogany desk, circa 1940, the keyhole desk with a bottle green tooled leather writing plane with a central drawer flanked by pairs of side drawers, all with drop brass handles, raised on extended cabriole legs with pad feet. Height 72 cm. Width 95 cm. Depth 45 cm

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.

Gold Tooled - Gold tooling on leather inlays in desks and other furniture and leather book bindings refers to the decorative process of embossing the leather with a design using gold leaf. The design is first traced onto the leather and then incised into the surface using a small blade. The incisions are then gilded with thin sheets of gold leaf. The gold leaf is burnished into the leather to create a raised, metallic design. The process is repeated until the entire design is covered in gold.
Tooled - Decoration of a leather surface, usually by stamping the surface with a heated punch or wheel containing foliate or geometric designs. In blind tooling the surface of the punch or wheel is in direct contact with the leather, while in gold tooling, a ribbon of gold leaf is placed between the punch or wheel and the leather, and once they have been applied, the excess gold is brushed off, leaving only the design.
Mahogany - Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.

Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin.
Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
Pad Foot - In furniture design, a pad foot refers to a type of

furniture foot that is shaped like a flattened ball or pad. It is a common

design element in traditional furniture styles, particularly in English and

American furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries. The pad foot is typically

wider than it is tall, with a broad, flat surface that rests directly on the

floor. It is often carved or turned with decorative details, such as fluting or

ridges, and can be made from a variety of materials, such as wood, metal, or

leather.

Pad feet are used to support the legs of various types of

furniture, such as chairs, tables, and cabinets. They are often used in

combination with other types of feet, such as bun feet or bracket feet, to

create a more complex and decorative furniture design. In terms of

functionality, pad feet provide stability and support to furniture pieces, and

can help distribute the weight of the piece evenly across the floor. In terms

of design, they add a classic and traditional look to furniture designs, and

are often used to create a sense of elegance and refinement.
Cabriole Leg - The cabriole leg evolved from an elongated scroll, curving out at the knee which may or may not be carved, and forming a serpentine shape as it descends to the foot.

First introduced into English furniture in the late 17th century, cabriole legs were widely used during the Queen Anne and early Georgian periods, where they frequently terminated in a pad foot or ball and claw foot. The style has had many imitators since then. The cabriole leg was re-introduced in the mid-19th century, and is commonly associated with the balloon-back dining or drawing-room chairs made in walnut, mahogany or, in Australia, cedar. The Victorian cabriole leg, on the whole, was rather more slender than the earlier form, following the French style, which emphasized the delicacy and daintiness of the chairs they were designed to support. Cabriole legs are sometimes found on windsor chairs, especially those made during the 18th century.
Blind Tooling / Blind Tooled - Blind tooling is a technique used in the decoration of leather goods such as book covers, belts, and wallets. It involves the use of specialized tools to impress designs and patterns onto the surface of the leather without the use of added colour.

The process involves the use of a variety of tools, including stamps, embossing tools, and finishing tools, which are used to create various textures and patterns on the leather surface. The tools are heated, and then pressed onto the leather, leaving an impression. The tools can be used to create designs that are simple or complex, with a variety of textures and patterns, including geometric shapes, florals, or scenes. The leather is then burnished to enhance the design and give it a smooth finish.

Mahogany Writing Desk with Green Leather Top

Visually similar items