The well patinated oak cleated, thumb moulded top, above a narrow central drawer and matching lower panelled door, flanked by two banks of three mahogany x-banded graduated drawers,
with brass swan-neck handles. The facing front corners have stylish quarter columns and deep panelled sides. Resting an ogee shaped squatted bracket feet and matching flowing moulded skirt.
Good overall warm coloured patination.
H.91cm
W.192cm
D.59cm
C.1850
This would certainly be the feature piece in your living or dining room.
While sitting there looking fantastic, the many drawers can store a lot of your precious belongings.
Perfect height to use as a serving table or place into a deep hallway as a stylish entry piece.
Hanging above an arrangement of rare 17th to 19th century European hand coloured copper engravings.
See many on my website under, Works of Art – Botanicals.
Late 17th century English oak open low dresser,
The well patinated moulded top, above three double cushion moulded drawers,
one constructed using re used earlier timbers, probably from a 16th/17th century oak coffer.
Resting on baluster turned legs.
(Later apropriate brass work)
1680-1700
H.80cm W.190cm D.49cm
I sold this dresser over twenty years ago, to a customer that later became a very close friend. This dresser was placed into his main office and sat in the entrance with a William Robertson hanging above.
I had this photographed and used as a full page advertisement.
I’m trying to locate this Russell Winnell photograph to help re promote the magnificent piece, along with others I purchased back, that were also full page advertisements pre 2000.
The three plank moulded top, above a plain lower moulded frieze, housing three mitred double cushion drawers, with later, appropriate brass-work.
Resting on baluster turned front legs, with plain rear rectangular legs and plain moulded sides.
Retaining the colourful Italian tassel and key I sold with.
One of the wonderful things about English and French country furniture is they used whatever timbers they had at the time. These drawer linings are an example and often found in 17th-18th century country pieces. Another favourite of mine is how many different timbers are found in the one piece. A French farmhouse table can have three to four different timbers at times. This variance creates the special uniqueness you can only find in country and provincial pieces, as town pieces, as delightful as they are, are more predictably perfect.
The plain moulded three plank top, with rear plank having a plate groove to display ceramic plates and pewter chargers.
The attractive designed ebonies cock-beaded front displaying four drawers, with a smaller central cupboard, flanked by two larger matching panelled sides.
Resting on shaped bracket feet.
The later art nouveau brass handles suit well.
Good overall colour and patination.
C.1880
H.89cm
W.160cm
D.45cm
Hanging above, five early 19th century framed Redoute hand coloured copper engravings.
Just out of storage, waxed and back into showroom.
The three plank moulded top above three drawers with brass swan-neck handles and a slight shaped apron, resting on a long cabriole leg, terminating on a round pad-foot.
Great overall colour and patination.
C.1780
H.81cm W. 212cm D.53cm
Just under 7′ Unusually long to not have a centre leg support.
Above, Three early 17th century Basileus Besler First editions 1613
Hand coloured copper engravings. 409 years old!
Prints by Basil Besler from Hortus Eystettensis.
Engravings with expert hand colouring.
With typical text showing through and minor spots.
Exceptional condition.
Cartophyllus syluestris
Melilotus Germanica
Bistorta Maior
Frame 88cm x 170cm
To the left, A stunning second half 18th Century English Country walnut and oak chest on chest.
The double moulded cornice above two short then three long book-matched, feather banded, graduated drawers.
The base with three long graduated drawers.
All with later yet appropiate brass-work.
Resting on shaped bracket feet.
Good overall colour and patination.
C.1770
H. 170cm W. 108cm D.55cm
To the right, An 18th century French oak, country chippendale style armchair.
Three plank moulded top, above three frieze drawers having decorative brass central handles, raised on silhouette-baluster profile legs to front and sides.
C.1740
H:73 cm
W:179 cm
D:48.5 cm
I purchased this dresser some time ago, and only just spent the time removing the later dark polish,
probably added in the Victorian period.
Many hours slowly removing the polish, revealing the beautiful lighter wax finish. Well worth every minute!
Over thirty years of trading and forty years in the antiques trade,I have never stocked a dresser with silhouette legs.
Even more unusual is that I now own two! Both from the same retiring English dealer that I purchased one dozen from.
Actually, my largest single purchase in my thirty years of business.
Notice the outstanding five framed Redouté citrus fruits, hand-coloured copper engravings.
Pierre-Joseph Redouté 1759 – 1840 above, 19th century English pewter charger displaying Buddha’s Hands, pewter mugs,
decorative Italian Murano vase and 19th century English green glass dump,
rare first quarter 20th century Art Nouveau globe (featuring Central Australia) and the mid-century vintage
Italian Murano glass sculptured shaped bowl.
Resting below is a 17th century Bronze cauldron.
The framed Redouté’s hung in my home for the past 20 years.
Now selling.
An exceptional 18th Century English Oak dresser base.
Having a boarded crossbanded top above a shallow central drawer above two short drawers, flanked by two deep drawers, all crossbanded.
With a shaped apron, raised on five attractive cabriole legs with applied side panels.
The well patinated moulded top, above four graduated x-banded drawers, retaining the original Hepplewhite style oval brass plate handles.
Flanked by two panelled doors, resting on slight shaped bracket feet.
A rare and unusual George III English Oak dresser base.
The two plank cross-banded and moulded top above an entirely cross-banded base having seven drawers with brass swan neck handles, enclosing two central panelled doors. When opened revealing a fitted interior of eight spice drawers around an arched recess and a central fruitwood shelf. Resting on the original ogee shaped bracket feet.
The overall colour and patination to this dresser are exceptional, something only approximately 250 years can achieve.
Note: One of the interior spice drawers was repaired mid 20th Century when around 200 years old. The proud cabinet maker signed his workmanship in pencil ‘Repaired by R.J.Hughes, Anglesey 11/11/49. Reminds me of when a teenage apprentice as a french polisher, when I would be putting a Victorian sideboard I had just finished restoring back together, I would always sign my name and date my work behind the carvings, before re-screwing to the backboard. I have, like R.J.Huges, always taken a lot of pride in my work.
Having been in the antique trade for 40 years, I have never seen a dresser quite the same. The interior fitted with a spice pantry is unusual, especially with the size of the drawers, as teas and spices were so expensive. The original Georgian steel key safely locked all away from the household staff.
Moving homes and changing furnishings has enabled me to release several rare and unusual pieces onto the market. Last week I sold the best early 17th Century English oak coffer/boarded chest in the Southern Hemisphere, as soon as offered.
It is hard parting with these beautiful rare pieces, however, I personally know they are truly going to other beautiful homes and will be enjoyed and appreciated as we have over the years.
Very Unusual 18th Century English Country Oak and Elm Low Dresser of Diminutive Proportions
The two plank moulded figured elm top, above two moulded drawers having brass fret-shaped handles.
With a shaped frieze, on square chamfered oak supports, running through the knotted elm pot board, terminating on square-block feet.
Wonderful overall colours and patination. C.1780.
Hanging above three framed 18th Century Elizabeth Blackwell botanical engravings 1735. Placed on the top – 19th Century English pewter charger with pears Pair of 19th Century Chinese fluorite carved floral with bird lidded vases and a large 19th Century Japanese Imari charger.
With a two plank moulded top above three fruitwood crossbanded frieze drawers having attractive early brass work, raised on baluster turned front legs.
Attractive 19th Century English Country Oak Pot-Board Low Dresser – AA2068
The well platinated two plank top, above a plain frieze, housing three drawers, with later but appropriate brasswork, Resting on turned uprights, joined to a planked pot-board,terminating on square block legs.
Note: Photographed when purchased. Still in need of minor repairs, a good clean and wax.
The well patinated rectangular top having a groove moulded plate support above three long and two short quarter moulded drawers, retaining the original oval brass stamped handles, flanking the classic Hepplewhite central bowed frieze. Resting on a square lower shaped leg, joined by rectangular end stretchers.Having fantastic overall faded colours and well patinated wax finish.
This design resembling a low boy.
Note: The beautiful single plank of oak as a back board
H: 80 cm W: 156 cm D: 47.5 cm
Information on the country Hepplewhite low dresser/sideboard;
The rise of the middle class cabinet maker in the 18th century brushed off the stilted and pedantic of the chippendale era and ushered in a new world of ‘elegance and simplicity of design’. There began a shift away from the traditional forms of furniture championed by the first wave of english furniture designed, widely felt to be derivative of its continental counterparts. The disseminated production and design processes led to a change in the character reflecting a growing sense of national identity in culture and art. The sideboard was one of these designs. It was created originally as a means of displaying china but fell into the english use of hiding large amounts of alcohol within easy reach of the dining table. it was said by contemporaries that the English ‘accustomed by habit or induced by the nature of the climate, took more freely to the bottle than their french counterparts’.
The design theorems that are displayed in this piece are characteristically of the post chippendale era, headed by the likes of Hepplewhite and Gillow’s. The phrases that sum up this movement, as portrayed in the publication of the time were a focus on the ‘simplification of form and the refinement of detail.’ Perfectly represented by the delicate touches and symmetry. This is a piece in the later form with drawers replacing what would have been cabinets. The stylistic developments are also to be seen in the stamped handles, in a semi neo-classical design pushed by english stamp metal production and distinctive in its simplicity in comparison to its continental counterparts. This piece lies in a bracket of time in which the purest form of this this style of furniture was at its heyday and its simple elegance transcends time.
