Desk and Bookcase
Unknown Artist
c. 1780
Medium
mahogany and pine, brass hardware, gilding
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":2.419,"width":1.06,"depth":0.565}}
Classification
Furniture and woodwork
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Mrs. Lawrence Hitchcock
Accession Number
1990.96
About this artwork
During the 1700s, a desk and bookcase, sometimes called a bureau in early inventories, was among the largest and most expensive pieces of furniture in a household. Their owners were chiefly businessmen and community leaders, and because of their function as repositories for personal letters and documents, they were usually placed downstairs in a back parlor or hall. A desk and bookcase consisted of two parts: usually a slant-top desk below and a cabinet above that sat within moldings applied to ...