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Production: Unknown
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.
History note: Beazor & Sons, Regent Street, Cambridge, c. 1978, from whom the donor purchased it.
Given by Dr Donald Kellaway.
Depth: 63.5 cm
Height: 99.5 cm
Width: 102.5 cm
Method of acquisition: Given (1993) by Kellaway, Thomas Donald, Dr
18th Century, first half
Circa
1701
CE
-
Circa
1750
CE
Stand
composed of
rosewood
( veneer, possibly)
Desk
composed of
padouk
Accession number: M.3-1993
Primary reference Number: 77269
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
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IIIF Manifest
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Writing desk" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/77269 Accessed: 2025-05-20 18:38:21
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=2025-05-20 18:38:21|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-77269
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<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>
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