Can anybody date this desk or tell me anything about it please ?

First post here, I have just picked up this old desk to use as my sewing machine table, I really like it and didn't pay much for it either, can anybody tell me anything about it ? thanks

 

It's a pedestal writing desk with a dark red leather skiver (mat, basically) on top. That tells us that it's meant for writing on. The skiver was there to stop the *VERY* sharp pen-nibs of the day, from scratching the wood while you were writing. I think it's very smart

 

Thank you very much, I see that now, have you any idea roughly how old it might be ?

 

Honestly I don't know. It doesn't match any particular style that I recognise. It's not Arts & Craft, A.N., A.D...nothing like that... pedestal desks were made for centuries and centuries. They're still made today.

They're called 'pedestal' desks because the desktop rests on the two 'pedestals' which hold the drawers.

On the REALLY big "powerbroker" partners' desks, they were actually made in three parts, so you could lift the desktop off, and the pedestals would stand there on their own. So that way you could move it around more easily.

 

Welcome to Antiquers Vaughan!

 

Does this give any idea ?, the drawer knobs are threaded and there are no screws or nails at all

 

This could just be me speaking out my ass, but I have heard it said that the less metalwork there is in a piece of furniture, the older it is, since metal (nails, screws, threads etc etc) all had to be made by hand, and was therefore expensive.

I dunno how true this is though.

 

Sounds very likely to me, I think its great, I paid about half what a cheap flat pack desk would cost from B&Q so well pleased, just cleaned it up a little, replaced a couple of knobs and its good to go my wife is very interested now and we are hunting for a nice old carver chair to match, or something similar, thanks for your thoughts V

 

What kind of sewing machine did you have in mind for this desk? I love antique sewing machines. I have a few myself.

 

Oh nothing old, a modern machine, I bought it a while ago and just needed a desk to use it on, then came across this one which will be perfect

 

Id guess 1900 give or take,but as someone else said it could be 1880 or 1940.Very nice piece.

 

I think 19th century and bench made as opposed to factory made. Can we see drawer construction?

 

Here you go

 

Nicely made hand cut dovetails. Are the drawer bottoms chamfered? Any visible saw marks? What does the back look like? What can you tell me about provenance? Very difficult to date since there are not a lot of style details.

 

Looks typical of mid 19th C English desks to me. I own one very similar, albeit a bit more battered. I'd use a protector on that top. A captains chair would go nicely.