Object Description
A Fine Quality Satinwood Carlton House Desk
Of freestanding form, constructed from lustrous satinwood with extensive polychrome decoration; rising from turned tapering legs terminating in brass capped feet, decorated with trompe l’œuil fluting; the apron inset with two lockable drawers decorated with floral garlands; the sliding leather inset writing surface flanked by hinged letterboxes with curved lids decorated with classical figures within oval surround and floral garlands; concave cupboards at the angles with conforming classical figures and decoration flanking the central banks of six drawers; the front, top & sides all similarly decorated with ribbon-tied floral garlands and scrolling foliage.
English, circa 1890
The Carlton House desk is a type of writing desk that originated in the late 18th century in England. It is named after Carlton House, the London residence of the Prince of Wales, who would later become King George IV. The design of the desk is often attributed to George Hepplewhite, a prominent English furniture designer and cabinetmaker of the late 18th century.
These desks were not only functional but also served as status symbols and pieces of fine furniture. They became a central feature of fashionable drawing rooms and libraries in upper-class English homes.