A Mid Eighteenth Century Burr Maple Bureau Bookcase
Height: 103" 262cm
Width: 56" 143.5cm
Depth: 25" 65cm
This magnificent bureau-cabinet displays a Roman triumphal-arched pediment after the antique or Palladian style, such as featured in Batty Langley's City and Country Builder's and Workman's Treasury of Designs, 1740, pl. CXXI.
However, its basic pattern, together with lozenged tablet escutcheons and its drawer-fitted interior 'prospect' with pilaster-flanked 'tabernacle' compartment, featured in English bureau design executed in the early 1720s when Peter the Great's craftsmen were training in London.
Indeed, its ogival-swept door-entablature featured as the cornice of an accompanying bureau design which was likewise presented in 1738 as prototypes for the 'cabinets of diverse manner' to be executed in St. Petersburg for Empress Anna Ionnovna.
In view of this bureau's ribbon inlay of exotic wood, it is worth noting that Fedor Martynov (fl. 1738-50), when embarking on the manufacture of one of these patterns, requested planks of exotic woods to accompany the burr-walnut (N.I. Guseva, 'Fedor Martynov, Russian Master Cabinet Maker', Furniture History Society Journal, 1994, p. 95, figs. 1 and 2).
While the cabinet's doors are embellished with large brass hinge-plates in the Oriental manner, the drawer partitions of the interior are fretted with whimsical lunar-masks. Its London-patterned drawer-handles feature with richly fretted escutcheons on a related cabinet with closely related scrolling feet, attributed to Christian Linning (d. 1779), who was elected master cabinet-maker in 1744 in Stockholm (M. Lagerquist, Rokokonmobler, Stockholm, 1949, figs. 1-3).
It is interesting that, although this piece is too good to be by the celebrated firm of Coxed & Woster, it exhibits a feature that this partnership has almost made its own. That is, the use of field or burr-maple, chemically altered to encourage the wood to resemble tortoise-shell. Although the effect has largely disappeared from this piece, there is still evidence of the treatment having been carried out.
This bureau bookcase undoubtedly draws its inspiration from English design. Whether it was made by an English cabinet maker here or by a cabinet maker trained in England but working abroad is still unclear. What can be said is that the quality is outstanding, which in itself precludes the piece having been made in large parts of Europe and that as further research is carried out the true origin of this piece will be revealed.
Until then, one is left to appreciate it for its more established merits. Highly elaborate interior, carefully selected veneers, very good proportions and wonderful colour. In fact, all the characteristics of a good piece of antique furniture are very clearly evident in this bookcase.
North European, Circa 1740
 "A Mid Eighteenth Century Maple Bureau Bookcase")