Cylinder bureau
Category
Furniture
Date
1800 - 1899
Materials
Mahogany veneered on oak, leather, brass
Measurements
130 x 131.5 x 67 cm
Place of origin
France
Order this imageCollection
Chartwell, Kent
NT 1101622
Summary
A mahogany cylinder bureau desk, French, of Louis XVI style, 19th century, the upper section with three-quarter pierced brass gallery, the moulded rim above three frieze drawers with brass escutcheons and swing handles, the cylinder cover with two brass handles, the cover sliding back to reveal two pigeon holes with two drawers below, between these is a central drawer, a long space below, the gilt-tooled leather inset writing surface pulling forward, two gilt-brass knob handles with flower motifs engraved to the top, as the writing surface slides forward it pulls a row of three dummy drawers into the space under the drawers and pigeon holes creating a solid bank, below the writing surface there are three frieze drawers, handles inside the desk and to the lowers drawers ensuite with those to the upper section, on four reeded and fluted square-section tapering legs, the bases of the legs with brass collars.
Provenance
Chartwell was purchased by Winston Churchill in 1922 and for the next 40 years it was the family home. Presented to the National Trust in 1946, Winston and Clementine Churchill continued to live there until 1965 when it was relinquished to the management of the National Trust. Much of the contents of Chartwell were accepted by the Treasury in payment of death duty and retained in the house. Lady Churchill also gifted many pieces and others are on loan from the Churchill family.