Early 19th Century English Regency Faux Rosewood Secretary Bookcase

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Exceptional early 19th century Regency secretary bookcase, finished in a striking faux rosewood with gilt lines. The upper case has … Read more Exceptional early 19th century Regency secretary bookcase, finished in a striking faux rosewood with gilt lines. The upper case has a gallery top above a pair of astragal-glazed doors, their slender gilded glazing bars forming elongated diamonds over a warm salmon-colored interior with two shelves. Below, four drawers sit between reeded, gilt-lined stiles, each with brass rosette knobs, and the whole piece stands on turned feet ringed in gold. The top drawer holds the surprise: it pulls out to reveal a green baize writing surface that rises on a hinged slope, with a fitted tray for pens and ink at one side.
In the Regency years of the early 1800s, rosewood was the most fashionable wood in the drawing room and one of the most expensive. Cabinetmakers answered with simulated rosewood: a skilled grainer painted the case with sweeping, flame-like figure and set it off with gilt lines, achieving the look of rosewood at a fraction of the cost. Fine grained pieces like this one are now prized in their own right, and the painter's hand shows in the swirling oyster figure on each drawer front. The secretaire drawer, with its hidden writing slope, was a Regency favorite that turned a handsome bookcase into a complete writing desk.
Compact at about 33 inches wide and five feet tall, it suits a library corner, a home office or a guest room, displaying books, porcelain or a collection above while keeping papers close at hand below. a period secretary bookcase at this size with the gilt-lined faux finish and the fitted writing drawer is decorative and scarce! From Lyon, France.
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