Antique English Georgian Regency Flame Mahogany Davenport Writing Office Desk (Circa 1820)

Sold

Contact Dealer To Purchase

Object Description

This is an example of a fabulous quality and rare antique English Georgian Regency flame mahogany Davenport writing desk, circa 1820, in good original condition.

Summary:
• Circa: 1820
• Period: George IV / Regency
• Origination: England, UK
• Item: Davenport Desk
• Wood: Flame mahogany
• Moulded gallery
• Original green insert leather
• Writing slope
• Four cedar lined working drawers to right hand side (rare)
• Two internal working drawers
• Secret locking mechanism inside writing slope
• Original working locks & keys
• Slide-out pen tray to right-hand side
• Slide-out brushing slide to left hand side
• Quality dovetailed drawer construction
• Cross banded panels
• Carved front feet
• Original brass castors
• Stunning quality
• Good original condition
• Completely original
• Free delivery to England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• Free 14 days UK returns policy

Description:
This is an example of a fabulous quality and rare antique English Georgian Regency Davenport writing desk, decorated in the finest flame mahogany veneers, circa 1820, in good original condition. The Davenport incorporates a moulded gallery above a writing slope, boasting its original green leather insert. The writing slope retains its original lock, with a working key which, when unlocked, allows the lid to be opened. Inside the writing slope is further storage room, including a set of four drawers situated at the back. The top two drawers within the writing slope are fully functional, with turned mahogany knobs. The lower two drawers are dummy drawers and feature a secret locking mechanism; the knob on the left dummy drawer can be pulled all the way out to unlock a pull-out pen tray on the right hand side (above the four external drawers). The concealed pen tray, once pulled to its furthest extent, can swing through 90° to align itself with the writing slope. Also inside the writing slope, next to the lock for the lid, is a recessed metal pin. Removal of the metal pin allows the writing slope to slide forward, enabling the user to sit with their knees underneath, thus allowing a more comfortable writing position. Below the writing slope, to the right hand side, are four hand-dovetailed, graduated cedar lined drawers. It is rare to find cedar-lined drawers; it is another example of the superb quality of this desk. Each drawer retains its original lock; a second key operates these drawers. To the left hand side of the Davenport is a bank of dummy drawers, above which is a pullout brushing slide. The front and back are decorated with fine cross banding. The Davenport rests on bracket feet with its original brass castors.

This item would look superb in a variety of rooms from the bedroom, living room or office. This item would certainly grace any home and is a great investment as it is an extremely functional item. This is a truly excellent piece with quality design and construction throughout. So don’t miss out on your chance to own a lovely piece of furniture.

Condition Report:
Dimensions:
External height = 84.6cm or 33⅜” or 2ft 9⅜”
External width = 56.8cm or 22⅜” or 1ft 10⅜”
External depth = 56cm or 22” or 1ft 10”
Writing height (bottom of slope) = 77.8cm or 30⅝” or 2ft 6⅝”
Slide height = 65.6cm or 25⅞” or 2ft 1⅞”
Knee height = 67.9cm or 26¾” or 2ft 2¾”

Price:
In order to make way for new stock, the price for this item has been reduced from £3,750 to £2,350, including free delivery to England, Wales & Southern Scotland*. This is a saving of £1,400!

Free UK Delivery*:
We offer free delivery to mainland England, Wales, and Southern Scotland (anywhere south of Stirling). *We do not offer free delivery to locations north of Stirling in Scotland, Northern Ireland, or any British Islands off the mainland; for example, the Isle of Man, Isle of White and Channel Islands. If you live in one of the areas where we do not offer free delivery, please contact us for a delivery quote before purchasing the item. Delivery will be made by our specialised antique furniture delivery service, or in some cases we will use a courier service for distant deliveries.

Delivery times are usually 1-4 weeks depending on location; we aim to deliver the majority of items within 2 weeks. All items are professionally packaged and fully insured in transit, therefore, we can assure you, your items will be securely protected in transit and arrive safely with you.

Once you have purchased an item, we will contact you by email and/or telephone and provide you with a provisional delivery date, in order for you to confirm if it is suitable for you. Once you have confirmed you can accept delivery on the provisional delivery date, we will book the delivery in with our shippers and it then becomes a confirmed delivery date.

We will also provide you with our shippers’ contact details, in case you need to contact the driver on the day of delivery. It’s helpful if you can provide us with both the landline and mobile telephone number, in case the driver cannot reach you on one of the numbers on the day of delivery, they can contact you on your alternative number.

In order to be able to offer you free delivery, it is based on a 1-man delivery only. For any large items that require 2 people to lift the item, we ask that you are available at the time of delivery to be able to give our shipper a lift off the van and into your house with the item. If you are not able to lift items yourself, we ask that you have someone on hand at the time of delivery to assist our shipper with lifting the item.

Free 14 Days UK Returns & Refunds:
A free 14-day “no quibble” returns policy (from the date you receive the item) is available if you are not happy with this item. We will collect the item free of charge from you (we do not charge a return fee / collection fee). You will be given a full refund as long as the item is returned in the same condition. We will collect returns using our own specialist furniture delivery company. We will not accept returns via a courier service (due to experience of damaged items in transit). This refund policy only applies to deliveries to the UK.

UK Buyer Payment:
For UK buyers, we accept cash on collection or delivery; cheque, credit card, BACS (free bank to bank transfer) or PayPal. Payment is requested within 5 days of the sale. Payment must be cleared before the items are collected or delivered.

International Buyers:
If you live outside the UK and you would like to purchase this item, please contact us before purchasing it, so that we can obtain an accurate shipping quote and delivery lead-time. The shipping quote provided is a global estimate only. The actual shipping cost will vary by country and postcode. Due to the distances and costs involved with shipping outside the UK, a returns policy is therefore not available for international buyers. Before placing your order(s) please make sure this is the item for you. We request payment by bank transfer (we do not accept payment via PayPal, credit or debit cards for international purchases). Payment is requested within 10 days of the purchase. Payment must be cleared before the items are collected or delivered to our shippers. The advertised price of the item does not include the shipping cost, sales tax, import duty or custom fees.

Important information regarding PayPal payment:
We only accept payment from fully verified PayPal account holders with confirmed addresses only. Items will only be sent to the confirmed address registered in PayPal. If you purchase an item and your address is not confirmed, your payment will be refunded and the purchase cancelled. It only takes a few moments to verify and confirm your PayPal details.

About the Seller:
This item is being sold by Yola Gray Antiques who is an accredited member of LAPADA (the UK’s largest Trade Association of Professional Art and Antique Dealers) and CINOA. CINOA is the world association of Art & Antique dealer associations. All LAPADA & CINOA members abide by their strict code of practice by adhering to reputable standards of quality, expertise and integrity.

Yola Gray has dealt in fine art and antique furniture for over 40 years. Yola Gray has a special interest in Colonial furniture, specifically Colonial Four Poster Beds. Yola Gray also provides a variety of fine English Antique Furniture, Art and Fabrics to clients in the UK, Europe and further afield.

Please visit the Yola Gray website at www.yolagray.com for further items and information.

Ref. Davenport 2

Object History

This desk owes its name to a Captain Davenport who was the first to commission the design, from Gillows of Lancaster, near the end of the 18th century. In a sense, then, it could also be considered a Campaign desk, though there are no records indicating if Captain Davenport was in the British Army or the Royal Navy. The design was ingenious and practical because it consumed so little space in an officers’ cabin on a ship.

Object Condition

The desk shows small signs of general use to the corners and leading edges, but nothing significant, considering the age of the item. While the original leather has some minor general use marks (see photo), it is free from rips and tears. It is extremely rare to see examples with their original leathers. The drawers are all smooth running and close flush to the frame. The drawers retain their original working locks and a working key. Similarly, the lock to the writing slope lid is original, fully working and with a working key. The internal locking mechanisms are also fully functional. The desk stands on its original bracket feet and original brass castors. As the desk retains its original polish, it has a fantastic colour and patination; this can only be achieved through age and the years of care and cleaning it has received. The item is solid in joint and ready to use.

Object Details

Dealer Opening Times

We are open weekly as follows:

Monday
8:00 - 17:00
Tuesday
8:00 - 17:00
Wednesday
8:00 - 17:00
Thursday
8:00 - 17:00
Friday
8:00 - 17:00
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Dealer Contact

Telephone
+44 (0)1829 458 070
Mobile
+44 (0)7960 738 212
Web
Email

Dealer Location

Unit 4
Organsdale Farm
Kelsall
Tarporley
Cheshire
CW6 0SR
United Kingdom

View Map