Antique Empire Linen Press Crafted by W. A. Willcocks of Guernsey

Details

Description

The flame mahogany on this antique linen press is absolutely exquisite! It comes from the workshop of W. A. Willcocks … Read more The flame mahogany on this antique linen press is absolutely exquisite! It comes from the workshop of W. A. Willcocks in Guernsey in the Channel Islands, which I find quite remarkable given the distance. The style is undeniably that of the Empire period in the early 19th Century. Once you open up the two doors in the top section, you will find three shelves that can be pulled out for easy access. The bottom section contains three large drawers. This linen press comes with a key for the lock in the doors, but it doesn't turn the lock mechanism to lock the doors. It serves mainly to open up the right door more easily. There are a few condition issues that I need to point out. The top drawer has a small piece of trim missing (refer to picture 6). Because of the age of the wood, some of the boards have shrunk, leaving cracks on the sides (refer to picture 14). The bottom drawer is a bit hard to open up. In spite of these issues, this linen press is a wonderful find and an impressive antique! It is 7 feet tall, so it will require a room with ample space and a high ceiling.

There is a paper label on the back of one of the drawers showing the manufacturer, W. A. Willcocks, and the country of origin, Guernsey (refer to picture 17). There is another label on the inside of one drawer beneath the lock. It is the same as this label in the picture.

I photographed this linen press outside on a partially sunny afternoon in July. It will invariably look different when viewed in an interior setting under artificial light. Please take this into consideration when matching colors.

Measurements

Height: 84"
Width: 50"
Depth: 22" See less