Writing slope
Category
Furniture
Date
1830 - 1870
Materials
Baize, Cork, Dalbergia nigra, Glass, Rosewood [dalbergia nigra], Velvet
Measurements
80 mm (H)310 mm (W)255 mm (W)
Order this imageCollection
Greenway, Devon
NT 119142
Summary
Rosewood table desk with sloping top decorated with floral micromosaic borders surrounding a floral spray on the rear lid and a view of a castle on the front lid. The rear lid has geometric mosaic borders on the underside and reveals a tip-up pen trough, flanked by square compartments for the glass ink bottles; these have non-matching micromosaic tops to the cork stoppers (either or both are probably not original). Forward of this section is a pen tray with geometric mosaic borders and a central turned knob to the lift-up top. This is flanked by two rectangular cavities, one with a sloping base, the other damaged. The front section of the box consists of a velvet-covered writing slope, half of which lifts to reveal a compartment for papers. The base is covered with green baize; there are no feet. Mid 19th century.
Provenance
Introduced to the Property by Agatha Christie Mallowan, Rosalind Hicks and Anthony Hicks