Walnut and Kingwood Crossbanded Kidney
Shaped Desk

A fine figured Walnut and Kingwood crossbanded kidney shaped desk by Craftsman D. Taylor for Gillows.

With a tooled leather inset top and ebony moulding, this elegant model of desk is based on a Gillows design, which first appeared in 1792 although Thomas Sheraton is generally credited with having introduced the pattern. The Kidney shaped desk also has Copes Patent castors.

The form, with open bookshelves to the reverse, was made by Gillows of London and Lancaster from 1840 to circa 1860 and became one of the firm’s signature design models. It corresponds to two sketches in one of Gillows’ Estimate Sketch Books, dated 1840. A stamped Gillows example with the same Bramah locks is illustrated in S.E. Stuart, ‘Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840’. 

An almost identical desk was sold by Bonham’s Bond Street, 18th November 2009, Lot 202 (£57,600), another similar desk was sold by Sotheby’s, 16th October 2009, Lot 84 ($80,500).

Circa: 1840-50

Height: 29 inches / 74cms

Width: 51 inches / 131cm

Depth: 22 inches / 57cm