Fine Furniture
Baraset House offers a fine selection of 18th & 19th century English, Scottish & American antique furniture, with particular focus on items of rare or unusual design, exceptional quality & craftsmanship, exotic woods, & notable provenance.
We provide the statement piece for both classic and contemporary interiors.
Scottish George III Dressing Table by the firm of Young, Trotter & Hamilton, circa 1795
A superb late 18th Century Georgian Sheraton period mahogany fitted dressing table
by the Scottish firm of
Young, Trotter & Hamilton,
of 'Holyroodhouse design', circa 1795
This fine & very rare Sheraton period dressing table was produced in Edinburgh by the firm of Young, Trotter & Hamilton, and corresponds exactly to the suite of furniture supplied in 1796 by Young, Trotter & Hamilton to furnish the Royal apartments of the ancient Scottish palace of Holyrood house for the Comte d'Artois (later Charles X) and his companions during their exile in Scotland from 1796-1803.
The segmented tabletop is cross banded with kingwood, tulipwood and satinwood with boxwood stringing, and inlaid with a central finely-flamed sabicu wood (called 'horseflesh mahogany' or 'tamarind' in the Gillow's specimen books) oval corresponding to the Young, Trotter & Hamilton wardrobe supplied to Holyrood (RCIN 27840) and the Young, Trotter & Hamilton secretaire bookcase supplied to Holyrood (RCIN 27853). The lid opens to reveal a fitted interior showcasing a central fold-away mirror with adjustable double-ratchet stand, corresponding to the Young, Trotter & Hamilton writing table supplied to Holyrood (RCIN 27847) and the Young, Trotter & Hamilton attributed prie-dieu supplied to Holyrood (RCIN 28621). The sliding, adjustable mirror is flanked by six lidded compartments, each mahogany lid banded with satinwood and boxwood stringing and topped with a central turned ebony knob. The gently serpentine-fronted sabicu and mahogany case is banded with satinwood & boxwood and supported on four straight tapering legs inlaid with boxwood stringing including blind ogee Gothic inlay surmounted by a dot, in a simple & striking design, identical to the inlay on the Young, Trotter & Hamilton writing table supplied to Holyrood (RCIN 27847), the pair of Young, Trotter & Hamilton pier tables supplied to Holyrood (RCIN 27597), and the pair of Young, Trotter & Hamilton card tables supplied to Holyrood (RCIN 27852).
The Holyrood house commission was to be the most important commission received by Trotter (known as 'the Chippendale of Scotland') and his firm to that date.
George III period Adjustable table, designed by Thomas Sheraton 1793
An exceptional George III golden faded rosewood adjustable reading, writing & drawing table
in the manner of
George Simson of St Paul’s Churchyard, London
design by Thomas Sheraton (1793)
circa 1795
Designed by Thomas Sheraton in 1793 and executed in the finest quality timbers available, this multi-purpose adjustable architectural-type table was crafted to be free-standing and seen in the round with all sides finished and inlaid with the same level of detail. The faded golden rosewood showcases glorious golden colour and patina throughout, the interior composed of solid mahogany of the finest quality, and the gilt-tooled Moroccan leather surfaces original to the table.
The solid mahogany table top veneered in rosewood with boxwood stringing and inset with original crimson Moroccan gilt-tooled leather surface, the removable solid rosewood bookstop (shown detached in the 1793 Sheraton drawing) line-inlaid with boxwood and featuring brass pins which slot into the inset table-top collars creating a reading/paper ledge upon the adjustable easel surface, the easel top rising on a superbly crafted adjustable mahogany ratchet. Beneath the rising easel surface, a solid mahogany and rosewood veneered pull-out writing slide, inset with original crimson Moroccan gilt-tooled leather surface.
Three dummy drawers feature original twin brass pulls and boxwood diamond-shaped dummy keyhole escutcheons; the single functioning drawer with original brass key & working lock, the drawer-front veneered in thick finely figured and faded rosewood with boxwood stringing, the drawer interior crafted of solid Cuban mahogany with fitted compartment for quills, inks, writing implements & drawing paper.
The desk raised on elegant square section tapered legs delicately splayed outwards and outlined with boxwood, featuring pointed arch/ogee inlaid terminals and elegantly collared feet with boxwood dot inlays.
George III period, portable Naval Campaign desk by Middleton, circa 1801-10
An excellent labelled George III brass bound mahogany
Naval campaign portable desk with secret drawers
by Nicholas Middleton 162 The Strand London (labelled)
circa 1801-10
Beautifully brass-mounted and constructed from thick panels of solid Cuban mahogany, with all secondary timbers also in solid mahogany highlighting what a magnificent quality example of early 19th century Naval campaign furniture this is. The large case opens to reveal a sumptuous Navy blue and gilt tooled leather sloped writing surface alongside compartments for an inkwells, quills and a pounce pot. A stack of finely constructed secret drawers is brilliantly concealed beneath the forward compartments, and is accessed by a labyrinth of removable mahogany slides, a push-chamber and hidden spring-loaded catch. Another long, shallow spring-loaded secret drawer is hidden beneath the pounce pot chamber in the forward compartment and magically pops out when the pounce pot slide is lifted.
Known as a Captain's portable writing desk this multi-use box would have been used by Officers at sea and secured to the wooden deck floor by means of a spring-loaded deck screw operated by a large "key" - this original key is retained with the box.
The internal flap bears the original maker's label for Nicholas Middleton at 162 The Strand in London, with Royal Warrants to His Majesty the King and The Prince of Wales; quite extraordinary that this important original paper trade label has survived.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Middleton supplied the Royal Household and Officers of the Royal Navy, including flagships of Admiral Lord Nelson and Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy during the Battle of Copenhagen (1801) and the Battle of Trafalgar (1805).
Between 1801-1812, Middleton is recorded in the Windsor Royal Archives as supplying the Royal Household with writing boxes and other supplies.
Scottish William IV period, manner of Trotter, Chest of Drawers circa 1830
A superbly figured Scottish bookmatched mahogany chest of drawers of highly unusual black-front form, featuring magnificent turned green horn knobs inlaid with mother-of-pearl,
in the manner of William Trotter of Edinburgh,
circa 1830
Three inverted and recessed front deep drawers in block-front form featuring highly attractive turned green horn knobs inlaid with mother of pearl florets, surmounted by a single shallow 'hidden' top drawer frieze. Each of the three deep drawers carved and cock-beaded to the inverted front out of a single piece of three-inch mahogany, the top moulded out of a single plank with stepped ogee edge.
The original Bramah brass locking mechanisms on each drawer are patent stamped with the cipher of WR for William IV (1830-37).
This highly unusual piece showcases exceptional quality of materials and workmanship, evident in the massive slabs of flame mahogany which have been cut out of the solid and recessed and beaded for the drawer fronts. Block front chests are extremely rare in British furniture design.
Another remarkable feature is the exceptionally fine green horn knobs made inlaid with mother-of-pearl - a remarkable process to have achieved almost two centuries ago, and equally remarkable to have remained in pristine condition.
Scottish-trained craftsman (Scotland or New York) Dressing Drawers circa 1800
An exceptional chest of 'dressing drawers'
in finely figured ribband mahogany, superbly inlaid with meandering floral vines in boxwood & satinwood
Scotland or Federal New York
circa 1795-1805
Veneered in superbly figured Honduran fiddle-back or ribband mahogany, with inlays in plum-pudding mahogany, satinwood, boxwood, Cuban mahogany & ebony. As a testament to the superior craftsmanship of this piece, the interior drawer sides & bottom boards are composed of solid Cuban mahogany - a luxury virtually unseen in this period.
The sumptuously figured mahogany fronts featuring superbly inlaid boxwood stringing with canted corners terminating with inwards-facing inlaid floral buds in boxwood and satinwood.
The top drawer finely quartered with book-matched mahogany on each end, a conforming mahogany diamond to the centre flanked by a pair of strung pointed mahogany ovals of contrasting mahogany grain set into quarter-panelled veneers, each oval terminating with inlaid satinwood 'dots' on either end. The design of this drawer bears remarkable similarity to prevalent fashion in Federal New York by Scottish immigrant craftsmen of the period.
The second drawer interior divided into three sections, formerly fitted with a writing slide and various compartments for 'dressing equipage'; this layout termed 'dressing drawers' by Hepplewhite, and distinguishing it from the common chest of drawers.
English George IV period Breakfast table, circa 1825
A fine & rare George IV gonçalo alves tilt-top breakfast table, or 'loo table' in the manner of Gillows
circa 1825-30
The entire table veneered in dramatically figured gonçalo alves, also called zebrawood, tigerwood and identified as Albura wood in the Gillows of London & Lancaster wood specimen chart. Gonçales Alves is characterised by its deeply striped grain pattern and brilliantly luminous lustre.
Gonçalo Alves (Albura wood) was almost exclusively used by Gillows in the early 19th century, and had largely gone out of fashion by the mid 19th century. Albura wood was the second most luxurious wood provided by Gillows - listed at 40% more expensive than mahogany, and second only to finely figured rosewoods.
Gonçalo Alves trees grow in neotropical forests, in particular Brazil, which is a major exporter of this wood. The finest Gonçales Alves is characterised by its dramatically striped & contrasting grain pattern.
The carving on the pedestal is restrained, minimal and crisp with a luxe that - put simply - will never go out of style. This type of very large tilt-top circular table was known as a "loo table" after the popular 17th century card game Lanterloo.
Measuring 77.5 cm in height, 129.5 cm in diameter (30 1/2 inches x 51 inches)
French Charles X period, marble-topped Gueridon circa 1830
A fine Charles X mahogany Gueridon centre table,
retaining its original rouge groitte marble-top,
France, circa 1830
An elaborately turned mahogany centre table with original circular moulded mottled Belgian rouge groitte marble-top on a figured mahogany frieze, raised upon a gracefully carved vase-turned fluted and reeded baluster column, ending in a circular moulded collar atop a well figured circular plinth base issuing acanthus carved tripod legs.
Measuring 44 inches in diameter; 28.5 inches in height.
English 19th century Dumb Waiter, manner of Gillows
An attractive & very sturdy 19th century
brass-mounted two-tiered mahogany dumb waiter,
in the manner of Gillows of Lancaster & London
The two circular tiers with carved fluted and reeded edges supported by three ring-turned brass columns, raised upon a sharply ring-turned knopped column with three gracefully downswept square tapering legs terminating in brass capped feet on castors. This form of 'dumb waiter' with two tiers raised by three columns was illustrated in Gillows Estimate Sketch Book dated 14 February 1803. The form was evidently popular, as the same model "with two tops" appeared again in Gillows Estimate Sketch Book of 1819.
According to Kathryn Kane,
"it was well known [in the 18th century] that servants were always listing for any tidbit of information they could use to blackmail the people concerned or to sell the secrets to professional blackmailers. The more embarrassing and intimate the indiscretion, the higher the price the sharp-eared servant could demand...some clever furniture designer or cabinet-maker found a solution to this problem. They reinterpreted the tiered glass pyramid on a larger scale, in mahogany. This completely English furniture form was called the dumb-waiter, since it would serve in place of a human waiter. These mahogany "waiters" were both deaf and dumb, and were therefore unable to hear or tell secrets."
English, George III tea caddy, circa 1790
A delightful and possibly unique George III
mahogany tea caddy
inlaid with 'The Tea Service' silhouettes in boxwood
circa 1790
A highly unusual, and possibly unique, Georgian double tea caddy, each side inlaid with very fine boxwood silhouettes of a teapot, creamer and sugar, the top inlaid with a boxwood silhouette of a teacup and saucer, further inlaid with exceptionally fine crossed spoons in rosewood.
The interior and exterior banded in ebony and boxwood, each compartment retaining the majority of its original foil lining, the compartment covers with ebony knops.
Superb condition. Original key and original working lock.
English, Charles I period brass warming pan, circa 1630
A rare and interesting Charles I engraved and pieced brass and iron warming pan, produced for 'THE DIERS ARMS' Public House,
Cheapside, London,
punch-decorated with the Arms for The Worshipful Company of Dyers,
circa 1630
This exceptionally fine and rare early engraved warming pan belongs to a small group of dated and undated engraved warming pans which can be attributed to one unidentified maker working through the reigns of James I, Charles I and The Commonwealth period in London.
This example is one of a group of 'Pub warming pans' likely produced for the earliest known signed Public Houses which came into official existence by proclamation of James I to have all registered Pub Houses bearing their signs - thereby becoming legal and tax-paying ale houses/inns. This sparked the registration of Pubs to name and sign their establishments most often under the names of their patron or local Guild.
This example is engraved 'THE DIERS ARMS', with the central engraved Coat of Arms of The Worshipful Company of Dyers of London (Three Madder Bags).
English, George III tea caddy, circa 1800
A fine George III rosewood double tea caddy
with superb inlays of Britannia and Her Lion
possibly to commemorate Nelson's victory at The Nile
circa 1798
This superb rosewood caddy features a highly rare inlaid medallion to the lid featuring an amusing Britannia and Her Lion, executed in dyed green harewood and hot-sand shaded boxwood. To the front panel is a fine example of the more often-used Georgian conch shell medallion.
It has been suggested that the pairing of these two motifs may pay tribute to Admiral Horatio Nelson's victory against Napoleon at the Nile (1798); Britannia, the Lion and the Conch symbolizing England's complete domination of the waves.
