Lot 936: An Edwardian Mahogany Carlton House Pedestal Desk
An Edwardian mahogany Carlton House pedestal desk, featuring a D-shaped top constructed with flame mahogany veneers and decorative crossbanded borders. The tiered superstructure incorporates four small drawers flanking open pigeonhole compartments, with each drawer retaining its original brass drop handle and decorative backplate. The piece is elevated on a central pedestal base with four splayed and reeded sabre legs, each terminating in a brass lion’s paw caster, with an additional straight tapered support leg to the rear. The central recessed writing surface is currently exposed timber without its original lining. A white adhesive card reading 3028 in blue ink is taped to the polished surface, with a smaller printed lot sticker below reading Lot 936.
Large-scale furniture items; exact dimensions are not provided.
Condition report:
The desk is in fair condition but requires restoration. The original leather or baize writing surface is missing, leaving the unfinished wooden substrate exposed (photo 1). The mahogany finish exhibits general surface wear, including light scratches, cloudiness, and minor nicks to the edges (photo 1). The reeded legs show typical scuffing near the base, and the brass casters have developed surface oxidation (photo 1). Adhesive residue may remain from the auction labels taped to the top surface.
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