William IV Inlaid Mahogany Desk Attributed to Gillows

A Directoire Mahogany Bergère Attributed to Georges Jacob, its curved back and padded armrests with finely carved baluster-shaped supports raised on turned front legs and sabre back legs. With a spurious Jacob stamp to back rail. The term "Directoire" refers to a historical period following the French Revolution (1789) and preceding the First Empire when Napoleon reigned, but also to a style of furniture and decoration covering a longer period from 1789 to 1804. It is characterized by the production of furniture with simplified forms and ornaments, inspired by antique decorations. The profound social and political upheavals that marked this period had a direct impact on the production of Directoire furniture. The stripping down of furniture pieces, which had begun in the 1780s under the influence of Greek art, was accentuated during this period. The abolition of guilds by the revolutionaries also forced manufacturers in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine to simplify shapes and materials. Elegant and graceful, the furniture is generally small-scale. They retain the Louis XVI structure. The Directoire style adopts clean shapes, straight lines, simple curves, flat surfaces and right angles. Lines accentuate geometric shapes inspired by Antiquity. A typical trait is the pronounced rolled-over back, similar to a scroll illustrated in our bergere, evocative of the klismos chair. Only the more luxurious pieces of furniture use mahogany, an exotic and expensive wood. Despite his humble origins, Georges Jacob rose to become one of the most renowned menuisiers of his day. Unlike many artisans who joined their fathers or brothers in the middle-class family trade of furniture making, Jacob was from a peasant family and moved to Paris at sixteen to begin his career. He apprenticed in a joinery workshop and eventually became a master in 1765. He developed a reputation for producing inventive designs for chairs, beds, and screens carved with such motifs as twisted ribbons, guilloches, beading, and fluting. Jacob's reputation grew quickly, eventually spreading outside France; the future King George IV of England, Gustavus III of Sweden, and several German princes...

In the French taste‚ the rectangular tooled leather inset writing surface with a three-quarter gallery‚ above two frieze drawers‚ with sham drawers to the reverse‚ raised on square t...

The rectangular moulded surround with a zinc liner with a pierced ormolu gallery, above a panelled frieze with a fluted edge, with later handles to the side, raised on turned tapering legs ending in ormolu caps and castors. Joseph Gengenbach, known as Canabas, maître in 1766. This elegant jardinière...

In the style of Thomas Hope, the rectangular three-quarter galleried top over a single frieze drawer raised on caryatid front supports, above a plinth base and carved paw feet, the w...

An 18th century mahogany desk or sometimes called architects desk, with fitted top drawer containing a baize lined wiring surface below which is a fitted section contains alphabet inlaid letter boxes The double top drawer slides out on hidden rollers and the baize section then slides back. Original swan neck brass handles and fine flame mahogany. finished with dummy drawers to the back making this a free standing desk. A model is in the Gillow design...

There is more to this exceptional George IV Davenport desk than meets the eye. Attributed to famed cabinetmaker Gillows of Lancaster and London and crafted of luxurious rosewood, the...

William IV library table Produced in England in the Mid-19th Century this is a extremely rare example produced in Coramandel having solid dra...

We are delighted to offer for sale this exceptionally rare Gothic Revival circa 1840 solid oak partner desk with top drawer writing slope and side bookcases made by either Gillows of Lancaster or Pugin Where to begin, this desk has been on a journey, when I first received the piece it looked like it had been French polished and waxed around 20 times, it had a very clumpy sticky finish, my restorers have stripped back all that horrible guck, they have then lightly stained and French polished it the correct way which has kept all the period patina and simply made it golden, The leather top and writing slope top has been replaced with fully aniline natural cattle hide leather that was plain, I’ve then had my leather polishers dye it this gorgeous whisky brown colour. Lastly there was various small timber repairs which have been done with antique timber...