English Bureaux and Bureaux Cabinets
DESKS: ENGLISH BUREAUX AND BUREAUX CABINETS
About 1690-1740
Walnut veneered two-part bureau, about 1700.
Acombination of the bureau on stand and the escritoire, having an upper desk section with a fitted interior mounted on a chest of drawers; can have a cabinet above with further interior fittings for ledgers, papers.
Initially made in two sections with applied ‘waist’ moulding around join. (Moulding sometimes retained for decorative effect, even when made in one piece.)
Base: Until about 1725, square (oak) lopers at top, thereafter rectangular. May have single or pair of drawer(s) between, above two or three long drawers of graduated size, or blank space fronting a well with sliding top accessible from desk interior. A well suggests a slightly earlier date.
Usually narrow moulding at base. Bun feet until about 1710, then bracket. (Many buns replaced with brackets at later date; modern trend is to revert to type.)
A few have full-width writing-slide at top, usually with corresponding book-rest moulding on fall.
For details of drawer fronts, etc. see CHESTS OF DRAWERS, p. 86.
Desk: Sloping fall; generally flush with surrounding framework. Sometimes ovolo lip moulding around 1710-1720, matching drawers below. Narrow cock-beading introduced about 1730. Top always flush with sides; never overhanging.
Interior fittings: Plenty of variation, but always symmetrically arranged and set back from front edge. Simplest with open pigeon holes (often with arched top and aprons) and maybe two or three shallow drawers below, frequently of undulating outline. Early interiors generally stepped (later on country versions), with drawers of convex or concave section. Best have central cupboard flanked by pilasters (the grandest with ormolu or gilt brass capitals). Secret compartment usually concealed behind; reached by removal of
shelf, drawer or other fittings.
Upper cabinet: Sits within applied moulding. Two, occasionally one door(s). Fashionable early pieces panelled with mirror glass (with bevelled edges), but can be wooden, finished both inside and out, as doors were often left open to show off elaborate interior. This has further drawers and pigeon-holes etc. all flush with front. Some partitions tall and narrow for ledgers, folios.
Moulded cornice above may be:
straight
domed (single arch)
broken dome
double dome (most highly prized in its day)
broken architectural (i.e. straight-edged) pediment (found after 1725 and on mahogany only)
All with finial(s) at centre and/or sides.
Mirrored cabinets may have pair of candle slides at base (so that light could be reflected in glass). Both features went out of fashion around 1740.
Principally -walnut veneer on pine carcase (with oak for drawer linings). Occasionally other figured veneers of mulberry, yew etc. Mahogany after about 1725.
Oak for some country and provincial pieces;
sometimes elm, ash or other indigenous woods.
Oak and walnut for interior fittings, sometimes with inlay of box, holly, bone.
Standard methods employed (see CHESTS OF DRAWERS for details, p. 87). Basically veneer on dovetailed carcase; through dovetails increasingly replaced by lapped after 1700.
Double-lapped on bureau top.
Figured veneers were often used only on top and front (i.e. the most visible surfaces) with vertically-running, straight-grained veneer on the sides.
Hinged fall cleated for stability (to prevent warping). Expect signs of damage to hinges and around lock due to faulty handling.
Usually but not invariably cabinet cornice integral with carcase until about 1725; thereafter more commonly separate piece, merely sitting on top with glued corner blocks to carcase to maintain position.
FAKEBUREAUX
Because of their very high value, fakes and marriages of early walnut bureaux and bureaux cabinets are not uncommon. Check for matching grain and colour of all timbers, and for matching interior and base drawer construction. The top of the bureau section should be rough, dry and untouched, with no signs of new timber, if a cabinet was originally present.
Newly-veneered but originally plain and solid oak bureaux may also be encountered, not infrequently veneered with old timber taken from a less valuable piece. So even though the veneer itself may look right (i.e. hand-cut and of irregular thickness, about 1/8 inch/3 mm) the all-oak carcase will indicate this practice. The interior fittings will either be too plain for the outer casing, or will also have been veneered, or even replaced. Check for signs of new wood and see if the drawer construction matches that of the large drawers below. See also if signs of former handles inside the drawers correspond with filled holes outside.
Principally figuring of timber, especially burr veneers. Additional effects achieved by cross-
banding, feather banding, quartering. Occasionally fine marquetry; mostly floral, preferably seaweed, patterns.
Handles: Typical for day (for details see page 87.) Earliest with brass drop handles (smaller inside than out; seldom matching). Thereafter brass bails with solid backplates outside, smaller ring handles with circular backplates inside. Interior fittings more commonly have small bone, ivory or brass knobs. Fan-shaped pulls common on lopers until about 1725, then brass knobs.
All drawers and fall fitted with locks and surface-mounted escutcheons.
Generally large brass carrying handles at sides; usually on both parts of two-piece base; only occasionally matching those on drawers.
Oak: Stain (applied in oil).
Walnut: Varnish (to fill grain). Mahogany: Varnish or oil stain.
All followed by wax polish (for further details see CHESTS OF DRAWERS, p. 82).
VALUES
Early walnut pieces extremely valuable, especially those with cabinets; prices can be counted in tens of thousands. Original handles and bun feet although both unlikely an advantage; so too interesting veneer, intricately shaped and stepped interior fittings.
Walnut bureau cabinet, about 1700.
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Tags: brass, bun feet, bureau, bureaux, Cabinet, chest of drawers, CHESTS, chests of drawers, cornice, Desk, Desks, Drawers, ENGLISH, interior fittings, mirror glass, moulding, secret compartment, veneer