Penrose Antiques

Description

We have for sale a very usefully sized and truly beautiful Aesthetic Movement ebonised pollarded oak desk by the highly esteemed cabinet maker James Lamb of Manchester.

This striking knee-hole desk comprises a natural tan leather top inside an ebony and pollarded oak surround over an ebonised and pollarded oak veneered mahogany body consisting of three mahogany lined drawers and two mahogany lined cupboards. The ebonised top of the central drawer is marked LAMB MANCHESTER 386 and each cupboard contains a removable shelf. The desk is mounted on four brown ceramic castors inset from edges and part hidden by desk plinth. The desk top has a small overhang at the rear designed to facilitate its sitting flush with a wall and allowing for skirting board clearance. This particular desk probably dates to around the mid 1860s

James Lamb was born in 1816 and joined the family cabinet making firm, which be turned into a a manufacturer of very high quality furniture which was exhibited at the companies gallery located in John Dalton Street, Manchester. The furniture produced by James Lamb was highly fashionable and won medals at the London 1862 Exhibition and also at the Paris Exhibitions of 1867 and 1878. James lamb was very much involved in the aesthetic movement producing some stunning ebonised pieces incorporating fine and rather rare veneers including pollarded oak. Pollarded oak is formed by continuous pruning of oak so causing over a number of years the formation of a large burr like growth which when cut thinly forms figured veneers similar to those of burr walnut. James Lamb died in 1903, having during his life become one of the finest furniture manufacturers in the country.

This is 51.25 inches in long (130cm) 23.5 inches wide (60cm) and 28.5 inches high (72cm). The desk is in very good and what looks like an original unrestored condition other than some scuffing to the ebonised detail to the back of the within the knee hole compartment.