Victorian Rosewood Writing Table with Leather Top & Lyre Base
rosewood writing table, mid Victorian with black leather fold out top and lyre fretwork base
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- Rosewood - A dense timber that varies in shade to very light brown to almost black. When rosewood is cut and sanded the colour of the timber will turn black, and after polishing and exposure to daylight, the surface will gradually lighten over time to light brown with black streaks.
The name comes from the odour emanating from the timber when it is planed, sanded or cut.
Rosewood was very popular for use in Victorian furniture in the second half of the 19th century, and at that time most of the rosewood was imported from Brazil. However it also grows in India and Indonesia.
It is used in the sold for chairs and table legs, but for carcase furniture such as side cabinets and bookcases, and for table tops it is always used as a veneer. - Lyre Motif - The lyre motif is an ancient decorative design that is believed to have originated in ancient Greece, where the lyre was a popular musical instrument. The lyre itself was often decorated with ornate carvings and designs, including the iconic lyre motif.
In ancient Greek mythology, the lyre was associated with the god Apollo, who was the patron of music and the arts. The lyre was said to have been invented by the god Hermes, who presented it to Apollo as a gift. As a result, the lyre became a symbol of creativity, inspiration, and artistic expression.
The lyre motif typically features a curved or S-shaped body, with strings extending upwards from the base. The motif was often used in architectural decoration, as well as on pottery, jewellery, and other decorative objects. - Fretwork - Pierced intricate decorative patterns, cut with a fine saw and generally found around the galleries of desk tops, open-hanging shelves and small tables.
In open fret, the timber is completely pierced, giving an appearance of great lightness and delicacy.
With blind fret, as seen in Chinoiserie styles of Chippendale, the fretwork is applied like a moulding to a solid panel. - Victorian Period - The Victorian period of furniture and decorative arts design covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. There was not one dominant style of furniture in the Victorian period. Designers used and modified many historical styles such as Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, Neoclassical and others, although use of some styles, such as English Rococo and Gothic tended to dominate the furniture manufacture of the period.
The Victorian period was preceded by the Regency and William IV periods, and followed by the Edwardian period, named for Edward VII (1841 – 1910) who was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India for the brief period from 1901 until his death in 1910. - Lyre - Attributed to the 18th century designer Robert Adam, the back splat of a chair or sthe supports of a table are in the form of a lyre, a Greek musical instrument similar to a harp.
In shape it resembles two reversed scrolls.
Chairs continued to be made in this style for at least the next fifty years.
In Australia many cedar chairs and tables have survived dating to the 1830s and 1840s, featuring the lyre shape in the back splats and as supports for small tables.
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