Items Similar to 18th Century George III Period Mahogany Davenport by Gillows of Lancaster

George III Period Mahogany Fitted Desk Attributed to Gillows of Lancaster

George III Mahogany Rent Desk by Gillows of Lancaster

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Writing Table

Rare 1794 George III Gillows of Lancaster Double Sided Postmasters Sorting Desk

George III Mahogany Architect’s Desk attr. Gillows of Lancaster circa 1790

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Partners Writing Table

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 15

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Davenport by Gillows of Lancaster

Name: 18th Century George III Period Mahogany Davenport by Gillows of Lancaster
Brand: Gillows of Lancaster & London
Price: 15080.85 AUD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (3 reviews)

$9,754.30

£7,200

€8,416.13

CA$13,462.39

A$15,080.85

CHF 7,843.92

MX$183,955.30

NOK 99,863.51

SEK 94,164.17

DKK 62,815.72

About the Item

Very Fine 18th-Century George III Period Mahogany Davenport by Gillows of Lancaster A fine late 18th-century George III period mahogany Davenport by Gillows of Lancaster retaining excellent colour & patina. The sloping rectangular top with inset writing leather, with pierced brass three quarter gallery, two interior drawers and a double dummy drawer below, on the right hand side a pen and ink drawer folds open and through 90 degrees. The whole top slides forward to allow easier access for writing, with amazing brass sliding mechanism. Below on the left side a retractable document slide, with four dummy drawers below, to the opposite side four mahogany lined drawers with mahogany turned knob handles and a further document slide. To the front and back of the lower section is a rectangular inset panel. The Davenport stands on bun feet with small brass castors. This stunning piece showcases the elegance and craftsmanship of its time. This magnificent desk, crafted in England circa 1790, showcases stunning quality mahogany, original green tooled leather, and retains its original warm colour and rich patina. Gillows of Lancaster were probably the most celebrated of all English furniture makers. They were established in the early 18th century, and pieces made by Gillows are very desirable and extremely sought after. The first piece of this was made by Gillows for a Capt Davenport, in the late 18th century, the design permeated to other makers and became a very popular piece for the aristocracy. DIMENSIONS Height 91cm (35.8in) Width 52cm (20.5in) Depth 57cm (22.4in)

Creator:

Gillows of Lancaster & London (Cabinetmaker)

Dimensions:

Height: 35.83 in (91 cm)Width: 20.48 in (52 cm)Depth: 22.45 in (57 cm)

Style:

George III (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Mahogany

Place of Origin:

United Kingdom

Period:

18th Century

Date of Manufacture:

1790

Condition:

Seller Location:

Petworth,West Sussex, GB

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU7021246080012

Shop All Gillows of Lancaster & London

Gillows of Lancaster & London

It would be difficult to find an antique furniture enthusiast or collector unfamiliar with the name Gillows of Lancaster and London. The British furniture company — which has earned references in the writings of Jane Austen and elsewhere in literature — is renowned for its exceptional quality craftsmanship, and attracted designers such as Thomas Chippendale, Thomas Sheraton and George Hepplewhite in its heyday.

The firm was founded circa 1730 by Robert Gillow (1704–72), who worked as a joiner, housebuilder and overseas merchant before making furniture for homes and export. Gillow established his business in his home city of Lancaster. However, the company later expanded into London in the 1750s after Robert entered into a partnership with his son, Richard, who apprenticed with a London architect and learned the merchant trade in Barbados. Richard had entrepreneurial aptitude — he managed apprenticeships at the firm, ensured that quality materials were a priority, navigated economic hardships, and designed furniture, too. He created seating based on sketches drawn by his cousin, James Gillow, in London.

London’s wealthy upper class took notice of the Gillows’ high-quality furniture, which came to include bedroom furniture, cabinets, a range of seating and other pieces made of rosewood or rich mahogany imported from the West Indies and Jamaica. By the end of the 18th century, the manufacturer was one of the leading furniture makers in Britain. Gillows designed its own furnishings and worked with significant designers; they had in-house upholsterers and cabinetmakers and employed decorative techniques such as “japanning” in their designs.

Gillows of Lancaster and London became Gillow & Co. in 1813 after selling to Redmayne, Whiteside and Ferguson. The company continued to thrive throughout the Georgian era and into the Victorian period, a time that yielded well-known collaborations with Scottish architect and designer Bruce Talbert on a regular basis. High-brow clients of the manufacturer clamored for their inventive and functional designs for tables and writing desks, many of which incorporated whimsical elements such as secret and pop-up drawers. There was also demand for earlier Gillow designs such as Baroque and Gothic Revival pieces as well as adaptations of Chippendale works.

Despite their success, Gillow & Co. entered into financial hardship during the late 1800s with the advent of mass-produced furniture. By 1903, they merged with Waring of Liverpool to become Waring and Gillows and, in 1980, were taken over by Maple & Co. to become Maple, Waring and Gillow. Today, many Gillows of Lancaster and London pieces are in museums throughout the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.

Find antique Gillows of Lancaster and London furniture on 1stDibs.

More From This Seller

View All

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Writing Table

Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB

This very fine late 18th-century George III period mahogany library writing table is a remarkable piece. Constructed from solid mahogany, it features a moulded edge and a rectangular...

Category

Antique Late 18th Century British George III Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Writing Table

$5,419

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Partners Writing Table

Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB

This very fine late 18th-century George III period mahogany partners library writing table is a remarkable piece. Constructed from solid mahogany, it features a moulded edge and a re...

Category

Antique Late 18th Century British George III Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Partners Writing Table

$9,347

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Chest of Drawers

Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB

A late 18th-century George III period mahogany chest of drawers featuring a rectangular cross-banded top with a moulded edge. The chest includes two small drawers and two long, gradu...

Category

Antique Late 18th Century British George III Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Brass

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Chest of Drawers

$2,641

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Chest of Drawers

Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB

A charming fine quality George III period late 18th-century mahogany chest of drawers. It features a rectangular moulded cross-banded inlaid top above two short and three long gradua...

Category

Antique 18th Century British George III Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Mahogany

18th Century George III Period Mahogany Chest of Drawers

$3,996

18th Century George III Period Small Mahogany Drum table

Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB

This small fine quality 18th-century George III period mahogany drum table showcases exceptional craftsmanship and elegant Georgian design. It features an original gilt-tooled leathe...

Category

Antique 18th Century British George III Tables

Materials

Brass

18th Century George III Period Small Mahogany Drum table

$7,722

18th Century George III Period Mahogany & Inlay Pedestal Sideboard

Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB

A late 18th century very fine and untouched George III period well figured mahogany pedestal sideboard. The bow fronted central section with satinwood and rosewood inlay and shaped w...

Category

Antique 18th Century British George III Sideboards

Materials

Wood

18th Century George III Period Mahogany & Inlay Pedestal Sideboard

$3,928 Sale Price

50% Off

Antique 18th Century English Desks

Materials

Brass

George III Period Mahogany Fitted Desk Attributed to Gillows of Lancaster

$10,160

George III Mahogany Rent Desk by Gillows of Lancaster

Located in Essex, MA

With rectangular top with inset red leather and banded edge, over a long drawer opening to A-Z lidded compartments. The pedestals below each with three drawers. All with classic Gill...

Category

Antique 1770s George III Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

George III Mahogany Rent Desk by Gillows of Lancaster

$12,500

Rare 1794 George III Gillows of Lancaster Double Sided Postmasters Sorting Desk

By Gillows of Lancaster & London

Located in West Sussex, Pulborough

We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning and exceptionally rare 1794 George III Gillows Lancaster twin pedestal double sided postmasters desk i...

Category

Antique 1790s English George III Desks

Materials

Mahogany

Rare 1794 George III Gillows of Lancaster Double Sided Postmasters Sorting Desk

$18,966 Sale Price

30% Off

George III Mahogany Architect’s Desk attr. Gillows of Lancaster circa 1790

Located in Shippensburg, PA

GEORGE III MAHOGANY ARCHITECT'S DESK IN MANNER OF GILLOWS OF LANCASTER England, circa 1790 with alphabetized rent drawers interior unmarked Item # 405KYH28Z This remarkable architect's pedestal desk was almost certainly crafted by Gillows of Lancaster, London circa 1790. It features a rectangular top inlaid with maroon gilt-tooled leather bordered by a molded edge. Below this is situated a full-width frieze drawer which is decorated to appear as two false drawers over pedestals containing three graduated drawers on either side of an open kneehole. The desk stands on a molded plinth base fitted with casters. The top drawer reveals a sliding gilt-tooled leather writing surface with a central panel that can be lifted on ratchet supports to hold and display documents. This surface slides back to uncover a lower compartment with an open storage area, flanked by three lidded compartments labeled alphabetically within oval reserves. The back of the desk is designed for a tidy appearance, making it suitable for placement in the center of a room, featuring two full-width faux drawers above faux cabinet doors in the pedestals. While the present example is not marked by Gillows, it is almost without question a product of their workshops and is firmly attributed to their design books. The alphabet inlaid drawers were inspired by designs popularized by Thomas Shearer’s The Cabinet Maker’s London Book of Prices (1788-1803). These were employed in designs published by Gillows, such as the 'bureau writing-table' with a double-ratcheted top made for the Earl of Shrewsbury in 1789 and a writing-table from 1794 (see Gillow Furniture Designs 1760-1800, L. Boynton, ed., 1995, pl. 24 and 41). A similar design appears in the firm’s 1798 Estimate Sketch Book (p.1481), preserved in the Westminster City Library. The drawer design is further seen on pedestal desks stamped by Gillows, including the library table provided by the firm in 1778 to Denton Hall (see C. Gilbert, The Life and Works of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol.II, p.246, pl.449). Gillows produced many variations of this desk style, including those with ratcheting tops for standing use, enclosed kneehole designs, various types of pulls, and subtle dimensional adjustments. Examples can be seen well into the George IV period and the influence of this form on later desks by Gillows can be seen as the tastes changed into the second half of the nineteenth century. Sir Walter Scott acquired a similar desk from Gillows for his Edinburgh house in Castle Street in 1810, later moving it to his study at Abbotsford in 1826. In a letter to J.B. Morritt of Rokeby Hall, Yorkshire, dated May 1810, Scott wrote: ‘You know I fell in love with your Library table and now the The Lady [The Lady of the Lake] has put crowns into my purse I would willingly treat myself unto the like...’ On 9 August, Scott wrote again to Morritt: 'I must not omit to tell you that Gillows table has arrived and gives great satisfaction. Everyone that sees it likes it so much I dare say I shall have some commissions to send him. His bill did not much exceed yours being about £30 ready money’. The Gillow archives from 1810 record: ‘pack for W.Scott Esq., Castle Street, Edinburgh, case containing mahogany bureau writing table Double Elevating tops cupboard in center complete writing drawers’. (See C. Wainwright, The Romantic Interior, Fig 162 & 163). A few open-market examples of nearly identical desks...

Category

Antique 18th Century English George III Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

George III Mahogany Architect’s Desk attr. Gillows of Lancaster circa 1790

$14,500

18th Century George III Mahogany Pedestal Desk

Located in Dublin 8, IE

18th century George III mahogany pedestal desk. With green-leather top and large centred drawer flanked by two smaller drawers, abov...

Category

Antique Late 18th Century English George III Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany, Leather

18th Century George III Mahogany Pedestal Desk

$13,003

Mahogany Davenport Attributed to Gillows

By Gillows of Lancaster & London

Located in Folkestone, GB

Attributed to Gillows A superior quality late 18th/early 19th century mahogany Davenport Desk The leather-lined top with brass gallery, lifting to ...

Category