Early 19Th Century Chinese Export Burr Amboyna And Ebony Secretaire Chest Of Dra

A Very Fine Burr Amboyna Ebony and Ivory Strung Chinese Export Campaign Secretaire Chest of drawers.

China c.1820

This fine piece of Anglo-Chinese furniture was made in China around 1820 inspired by English Regency design of the period and was probably commissioned by a ship's captain or high ranking Navy officer with links to the China trade. The recessed handles used on this piece are a typical pattern found on the best quality pieces of furniture made in China for the English market at this date and their recessed nature suggests that these chests were designed to be used as campaign pieces. In this context this is likely to mean on board a ship rather than in the field of battle.

Although a conventional-looking chest of drawers at first glance, the larger top drawer opens to reveal a finely fitted secretaire section. Within the secretaire are a series of pigeon holes and several very finely made small drawers with original ivory stringing and drawer pulls. There is a baize lined writing section to the centre of the fall front flap. This interior is particularly sophisticated and suggests that this piece was designed to be a home office and filing cabinet for an administrator of some kind, probably associated with the East India Company.

The chest is veneered to the front, sides and top with highly figured and finely coloured amboyna wood with a good patination. This contrasts beautifully with the solid ebony mouldings applied to the edge of the top, between the drawer fronts and the pilasters running down both sides. These mouldings have a fluted and stepped profile and are highly attractive and made of high quality dense timber of wonderful colour. The highly distinctive paw feet on this piece are also carved from solid ebony.

A particularly unusual feature of this piece is the contrasting ivory stringing used on the drawer fronts, creating cartouche shapes and adding further to the sense of refined luxury. The flush mounted handles, as discussed before, are of excellent quality and designed to make the piece as easy to transport as possible with no protruding edges. The piece dismantles in to two parts to make the process of moving it even easier and both sections have robust gilt brass carrying handles to each side.

This is a very decorative and highly useful piece of furniture which, apart from its striking looks, campaign furniture of this quality is very rare and collectable.

Ivory Act 2018 (2022) compliant with APHA registration reference 6YX9MV4J