Antique Pedestal and Kneehole Desks
Pedestal and kneehole desks
Conceived as both dressing tables and bureaux, kneehole desks first appeared in France and The Netherlands in the second half of the 17th century. Since the 19th century, at least, they have been known as bureaux Mazarins after Louis XIV’s First Minister, Cardinal Jules Mazarin (1602-61). Early examples were commissioned by members of the French court as luxury items. Usually mounted with moulded brass borders and elaborate escutcheons or ormolu keyhole mounts, bureaux Mazarins of the late 17th century are most frequently made of brass-inlaid red tortoiseshell in the style associated with Andre-Charles Boulle (1642-1732).
WALNUT KNEEHOLE DESKS
At the end of the 17th century the bureau Mazarin kneehole desk was adapted and simplified into the kneehole “burry” or desk. Until c.1740 these were usually made of walnut or red walnut, although
provincial examples in oak and fruitwood also survive. The most sophisticated examples include those made of burr woods or of stained woods, simulating mulberry, and also “japanned” kneeholes, usually black or red. The most elaborate George I and George II kneeholes (1714-60) have both crossbanded and featherbanded decoration; the tops and sides are often quarter-veneered. The ever-larger kneeholes made under George III (1760-1820) were constructed in mahogany, often in the solid, with mahogany drawer-linings; they are often exotically decorated, and stand on shaped bracket feet, which replaced the earlier bun feet.
PEDESTAL DESKS
The introduction of pedestal desks – a predominantly British form – reflected the demand for large, freestanding desks, which were more comfortable to sit at than the kneehole desk. First made in walnut c.1720 to 1730, they became widespread in mahogany during the reign of George II. Late 18th-century desks usually have three drawers in the friezes; the pedestals are fitted with either drawers or folio cupboards, and stand on moulded plinths, often with hidden casters. Pine or oak examples tend to be painted underneath with a reddish wash, and Regency pedestal desks are also blackened. During the early I 9th century, exotic timbers, particularly rosewood, salamander, amboyna, and ebony, were used, and firms such as Marsh & Tatham of London enriched Regency pedestal desks with brass inlay. Reacting to this trend, the cabinet-maker George Bullock (c.1777-1818) championed the use of indigenous woods, particularly pollard oak and holly. This return to natural woods and utilitarian designs influenced the Victorian cabinet-makers, whose desks are distinguished by their squatter, slightly heavier form and plain wooden knob handles. More elaborate examples were produced in the late 19th century in satinwood and marquetry, or with painted decoration, by firms including Edwards & Roberts.
• BUREAUX MAZARINS late 19th-century copies often have inset leather tops instead of marquetry ones.
• KNEEHOLE DESKS crossbanding and featherbanding to the sides, brushing-slides, or fitted drawers add to their desirability; lacquered-brass handles (often replaced) arc a good indication of quality – the finest examples often have either engraved metalwork or elaborately pierced backplates; most examples have thin dovetailed drawer-linings in oak, but provincial kneeholes are Often made of pine; early provincial examples have different and cheaper stained timber on the sides.