Kneehole Dressing Tables
DRESSING TABLES kneehole
A simpler walnut kneehole with herring-bone banding to the drawers. The top is quartered and cross-banded. Note that the shaped section over the kneehole space is, in fact, another drawer. Original handles. 1720-1740.
A solid yew wood kneehole with lip-moulded drawers. A fairly simple piece which will depend largely for its value on the colour and patination. A faded nut brown colour being much more valuable than a reddish tinge. Hence the wide price range.
Another mahogany kneehole, with fluted canted corners and a slide. Original handles. The photograph and lack of polish do not do it justice. Price assumes a deep rich colour. 1740-1760
There seems little doubt that this piece of furniture was evolved for bedroom or dressing room use; it has subsequently been found extremely useful as a desk. People did write in their bedrooms, of course, and we happily illustrate, in the mahogany examples, a piece fitted with both mirror accoutrements and writing paraphernalia. This is just to show that we are not prepared to be didactic; the concensus is that this is, generally speaking, an ‘upstairs’ piece, but there is no reason why it should not have been found useful downstairs as well.
Value Points: as for Chests, also if centre section pulls forwards
Here we are an unusual but genuine fit-up under a hinged top and a false front top drawer. This mahogany piece is fitted both for dressing and titivation purposes as well as with ink-holding drawer and letter/ envelope rack inside. The drawers are cock-beaded. 1740-1760
A high quality veneered mahogany kneehole with slightly serpentine front, canted fluted corners and fluted central arch.
A solid mahogany serpentine-front kneehole on ogee bracket feet. Note that the foot has an extra facet to match the squared corner. There are in fact three main shapes of ogee feet, the most simple curves out where it meets the floor, the second is squared off just at that point but this one, the best type, has a more pronounced curve over the foot as well as the squaring off where it meets the floor.
An American block-front mahogany kneehole with characteristic ’shell’ carving over the central door. 1750-1770
A very decoratively veneered mahogany serpentine-front kneehole. One often sees early 20th century reproductions made broadly to this design. 1860-1880
An unusual oak kneehole fitted with a secretaire drawer (see below) clearly a ‘writing’ piece. c.1750
A simple but very pleasant solid mahogany kneehole on bracket feet, with cock-beaded drawers.
A late nineteenth century mahogany kneehole in the Sheraton manner, with quarter-fan inlaid satinwood decoration in the corners of the door. There is also a slide.
A late nineteenth century carved kneehole desk in mahogany with a gadrooned edge to the top. 1890-1920
Tags: Chests, colour, design, desk, drawers, DRESSING, Dressing Tables, furniture, kneehole, mahogany, nineteenth century, Original, Sheraton, table, Tables, top drawer