Late 17th Century English Boarded Desk Box

A rare survival of a late Stuart period boarded desk box, constructed of pine and retaining traces of its original painted surface imitating richer timber. The sloping lid, simple boarded form and iron lockplate epitomise the practical, robust domestic furniture made for both gentry and professional households in the later 17th century. These boxes, designed to house writing materials and papers, represent the beginnings of more formalised portable desk furniture at a time of expanding literacy and bureaucratic culture.
This example is of particular importance having been illustrated in Victor Chinnery’s Oak Furniture: The British Tradition (p.377, fig. 3:427), the standard reference work on English vernacular furniture. The painted surface and use of pine (a less common timber for such pieces, and often reserved for painted or grained furniture) reflect both economy and decorative fashion of the period.