17th Century English William and Mary Period Walnut Escritoire

A rare late 17th Century William and Mary period walnut escritoire or writing cabinet. 

This lovely piece is of smaller than usual proportions and retains a very fine colour and patination. It consists of a fall front writing surface concealing an arrangement of small drawers, with beautifully executed linings and fine dovetails and pigeon holes, designed to act as the all-in-one home office solution of its day. 

Hidden in the cushion-shaped frieze above the fall front is a pull out secret drawer and beneath the fall front are two short and two longer drawers of more conventional form. The piece stands on flattened bun feet. 

Pieces of this sort were only available to the wealthiest people of the period. They seem to have been used in both reception rooms and bedrooms but the smaller proportions of our piece suggest that it was probably designed for a bedroom setting, providing storage space and a filing cabinet system, as well as a writing slope, in a single piece of furniture. A rare surviving piece of furniture.