Skip to main content

Writing desk: M.3-1993

An image of Writing desk

Terms of use

These images are provided for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons License (BY-NC-ND). To license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who will discuss fees, terms and waivers.

Download this image

Creative commons explained - what it means, how you can use our's and other people's content.

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Fall front writing desk of padouk, on softwood stand veneered with rosewood(?), the two drawers with replacement brass handles

The desk of padouk wood; the stand of softwood with rosewood(?) veneer. The brass handles are later replacements. The desk has a fall front with two drawers beneath, inside drawers (one replaced), and slots, with a central compartment pulling out to reveal four secret drawers. It stands on a (possibly later but purpose-built) stand with cabriole legs terminating in square 'paintbrush' feet. The secret drawers are inscribed in Chinese characters equivalent to 'upper left; lower left; upper right; lower right' but they no longer fit in the correct order.

Notes

History note: Beazor & Sons, Regent Street, Cambridge, c. 1978, from whom the donor purchased it.

Legal notes

Given by Dr Donald Kellaway.

Measurements and weight

Depth: 63.5 cm
Height: 99.5 cm
Width: 102.5 cm

Relative size of this object

1 m99.5 cm63.5 cm What does this represent?

Relative size of this object is displayed using code inspired by Good Form and Spectacle's work on the British Museum's Waddeson Bequest website and their dimension drawer. They chose a tennis ball to represent a universally sized object, from which you could envisage the size of an object.

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1993) by Kellaway, Thomas Donald, Dr

Dating

First half of 18th Century
Circa 1701 CE - Circa 1750 CE

School or Style

colonial

Components of the work

Stand composed of rosewood ( veneer, possibly)
Desk composed of padouk

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.3-1993
Primary reference Number: 77269
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Friday 17 June 2022 Last processed: Monday 25 July 2022

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2023) "Writing desk" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/77269 Accessed: 2023-06-09 09:29:34

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/77269 |title=Writing desk |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2023-06-09 09:29:34|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:

https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-77269

Bootstrap HTML code for reuse

To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:

<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa11/M_3_1993.jpg"
        alt="Writing desk"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Writing desk</figcaption>
    </figure>
</div>
    

Please enter your name as you would like to be addressed
Please enter your email address
The object accession number - this is prefilled
Please enter your query with as much detail as possible

More objects and works of art you might like

Writing desk

Accession Number: M.20-1970

Kneehole desk

Accession Number: M.12-1961

Desk

Accession Number: M.3-2016

Suggested products from Curating Cambridge

You might be interested in this...

Sign up for updates

Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...