Object Description
A superb 17th century William & Mary burr walnut and featherbanded bureau, Circa 1690 in date.
The hinged fall enclosing a fitted stepped interior with four small drawers and a central cupboard, secret compartments and a well with a sliding cover.
Below this it has a pair of half width drawers over two capaciousfull width drawers and it is raised on a shaped apron stand with bracket feet.
Complete with working locks and keys.
Condition:
In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 100 x Width 96 x Depth 57
Dimensions in inches:
Height 39.4 x Width 37.8 x Depth 22.4
Walnut & Burr Walnut
Walnut is a hard, dense, tight- grained wood that polishes to a very smooth finish. It is a popular and attractive wood whose colour ranges from near white in the sapwood to a dark hew in the heartwood. When dried in a kiln, walnut wood tends to develop a dull brown colour, but when air-dried can become a rich purplish-brown. Because of its colour, hardness and grain, it is a prized furniture and carving wood. Walnut veneer was highly priced and the cost would reflect the ‘fanciness’ of the veneer – the more decorative, then the more expensive and desirable.
Burr walnut refers to the swirling figure present in nearly all walnut when cut and polished, and especially in the wood taken from the base of the tree where it joins the roots. However the true burr is a rare growth on the tree where hundreds of tiny branches have started to grow. Burr walnut produces some of the most complex and beautiful figuring you can find.
Walnut “burrs” were often used to make fabulous furniture. Veneer sliced from walnut burl is one of the most valuable and highly prized by cabinet makers and prestige car manufacturers and is also a favourite material for shotgun stocks.
Inlay was commonly used in the production of decorative burr walnut furniture, where pieces of coloured veneers are inlaid into the surface of the walnut, adding delicate or intricate patterns and designs. Inlays normally use various exotic veneers, but other materials such as mother-of-pearl, brass or bone were also be used.
Our reference: 08896a