Antique Lancaster County Pennsylvania Sheraton Paint-Decorated Slant-Front Shopkeeper's Desk

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Antique Lancaster County Pennsylvania Sheraton Paint-Decorated Slant-Front Shopkeeper's Desk 1830-1840's

A striking and authentic example of Lancaster County decorative paintwork, … Read more Antique Lancaster County Pennsylvania Sheraton Paint-Decorated Slant-Front Shopkeeper's Desk 1830-1840's

A striking and authentic example of Lancaster County decorative paintwork, this Pennsylvania Sheraton slant-front desk was found near Lititz, Pennsylvania — the heart of one of America's richest traditions of painted furniture. It retains its original faux bois — or faux mahogany grain — paint decoration in a bold, sweeping pattern that successfully mimics the figure of crotch mahogany veneer. Applied in rich brown over a dark ground, the swirling, feathered brushwork covers the slant lid and case front with the confident hand of a practiced Pennsylvania German decorator. Lancaster County produced some of the finest grain-painted furniture in early America, and surviving pieces with original surfaces of this ambition are increasingly hard to find.

The case is constructed of pine and poplar — the characteristic secondary woods of the Pennsylvania shop tradition — raised on slender, reeded Sheraton legs with turned feet, all painted in the same decorative scheme. A single long drawer below the slant lid retains its original turned wooden knobs and an oval brass escutcheon at the lock. A second escutcheon at the lid lock completes the exterior hardware.

Open the lid and the character of the piece deepens considerably. The interior reveals a well-fitted arrangement of open document cubbies above and, below, a bank of four walnut-drawer small drawers — two on each side flanking a central open well with a lower shelf — all fitted with their original small brass pulls. The walnut used for these interior drawers is warm and richly figured, a deliberate quality choice by the maker that would have been appreciated by the merchant or clerk who used this desk daily. The writing surface, in wide pine boards, shows the ink stains, wear, and patina of generations of real use — a document in its own right.

At 29 inches to the writing surface and a compact 37¾ inches wide, this desk remains entirely practical for a study or library, and is a compelling object for any collector of Pennsylvania Federal painted furniture.

Size: 37 3/4" wide, 21 3/4" deep, 41" tall, and 29" writing height.

Condition: Offered in unrestored, as-found condition. The original paint decoration shows surface wear and losses throughout, consistent with nearly two centuries of use — the piece has never been repainted or touched up. The writing surface interior shows ink staining and heavy wear commensurate with its working life. Old screw break-outs are present at the lid hinge area, a common result of long, heavy use. All hardware appears to be original or period. No restoration has been performed. Interior drawers are sticky from age, as they tend to swell and get stuck shut from humidity. No keys. See less