Contact Seller
Camden Antiques
Tel07887 503904Please quote Antiques Atlas.
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Non UK callers :
+44 7887 503904
Shapland & Petter Mahogany Kidney Shaped Desk
1 of 6
A lovely mahogany kidney shaped writing desk by Shapland & Petter of Barnstaple. Very well constructed in mahogany with a pierced brass gallery to the top. Fitted with a sumptuous green leather writing surface complete with gilt tooling to the surrounds. With 3 drawers to the freeze fitted with their original solid brass handles. Standing on 6 elegant turned and reeded which terminate in their original brass castors. This desk is finished to the rear so it could be free standing within a room if required. Sympathetically refinished in our workshops and now offered for sale in excellent condition, ready to go straight into the home or office.
Dimensions:
Width 124cms
Depth 68cms
Overall height 76cms
Height of writing surface 74.5cms
Kneehole clearance 58.5cms
The Shapland and Petter factory was established by cabinetmaker Henry Shapland (1823 – 1909), following a trip to America in 1848. While there, he saw an ingenious new machine which he realised could be used for cabinetmaking. Upon his return to Barnstaple, he reproduced the machine from notes he’d made and set up business in a mill. He later met Henry Petter, an accountant, and together they achieved rapid success. In 1888 the mill burned down. Undeterred, they moved to larger premises. The same factory now produces high-quality joinery.
Hand-tooled or machine-made? Antique cabinets that were both
Furniture by Shapland and Petter, such as their antique dining chairs , is highly collectable by Arts & Crafts antique furniture enthusiasts, despite breaking the “rules” of the movement. Looking at the detailed carving on a Shapland and Petter antique chest today, it is hard to imagine it being produced in what was, for its time, one of the most cutting-edge factories in Britain.
The new factory was arranged in blocks, with a production line of up to 350 employees, which ran from the saw mills to the finishing sheds. However, keen as they were to adopt labour-saving devices, the men also saw the need for traditional craftsmanship. They imported American machine tools that were backed by an army of skilled cabinetmakers, carvers, designers and polishers.
From Victorian dining chairs to antique bookcases, Shapland and Petter furniture is defined its detailed carving. Those employed for this task underwent a 7-year apprenticeship, using up to 100 tools for the most elaborate designs. The factory was soon producing furniture and interiors to order, for banks, hotels, private homes and even Pullman railway carriages. Notable commissions included the London Guildhall, Edgar Wallace ‘s home, and the mansion house at Tapeley Park.
From Antique marquetry furniture to the Art Nouveau period
Shapland & Petter antiques range from simple rustic Arts & Crafts furniture to intricate antique marquetry antique furniture, embellished with the fluid organic designs of the Art Nouveau movement. Their antique cabinets often made use of finely detailed lead glass panels and delicate fruitwood inlays however, many of these intricately crafted pieces were mass-produced standards.
If you would like to view this item please contact us. We can arrange delivery to any part of the UK at a reasonable cost. We can also arrange delivery worldwide. Please feel free to contact us about your requirements or any help in general.
Camden Antiques
units 20 & 19
The vinery
Poling
West Sussex
BN189PY
07887503904
SellerCamden Antiques
View all stock from
Camden Antiques
Units 20, 19, and 18
The Vinery,
Poling
West Sussex
BN18 9PY
Tel : 07887 503904
Non UK callers : +44 7887 503904
Get directions to Camden Antiques
Dimensions:
Width 124cms
Depth 68cms
Overall height 76cms
Height of writing surface 74.5cms
Kneehole clearance 58.5cms
The Shapland and Petter factory was established by cabinetmaker Henry Shapland (1823 – 1909), following a trip to America in 1848. While there, he saw an ingenious new machine which he realised could be used for cabinetmaking. Upon his return to Barnstaple, he reproduced the machine from notes he’d made and set up business in a mill. He later met Henry Petter, an accountant, and together they achieved rapid success. In 1888 the mill burned down. Undeterred, they moved to larger premises. The same factory now produces high-quality joinery.
Hand-tooled or machine-made? Antique cabinets that were both
Furniture by Shapland and Petter, such as their antique dining chairs , is highly collectable by Arts & Crafts antique furniture enthusiasts, despite breaking the “rules” of the movement. Looking at the detailed carving on a Shapland and Petter antique chest today, it is hard to imagine it being produced in what was, for its time, one of the most cutting-edge factories in Britain.
The new factory was arranged in blocks, with a production line of up to 350 employees, which ran from the saw mills to the finishing sheds. However, keen as they were to adopt labour-saving devices, the men also saw the need for traditional craftsmanship. They imported American machine tools that were backed by an army of skilled cabinetmakers, carvers, designers and polishers.
From Victorian dining chairs to antique bookcases, Shapland and Petter furniture is defined its detailed carving. Those employed for this task underwent a 7-year apprenticeship, using up to 100 tools for the most elaborate designs. The factory was soon producing furniture and interiors to order, for banks, hotels, private homes and even Pullman railway carriages. Notable commissions included the London Guildhall, Edgar Wallace ‘s home, and the mansion house at Tapeley Park.
From Antique marquetry furniture to the Art Nouveau period
Shapland & Petter antiques range from simple rustic Arts & Crafts furniture to intricate antique marquetry antique furniture, embellished with the fluid organic designs of the Art Nouveau movement. Their antique cabinets often made use of finely detailed lead glass panels and delicate fruitwood inlays however, many of these intricately crafted pieces were mass-produced standards.
If you would like to view this item please contact us. We can arrange delivery to any part of the UK at a reasonable cost. We can also arrange delivery worldwide. Please feel free to contact us about your requirements or any help in general.
Camden Antiques
units 20 & 19
The vinery
Poling
West Sussex
BN189PY
07887503904
Price The price has been listed in British Pounds.
Conversion rates as of 7/APR/2025. Euro & Dollar prices will vary and should only be used as a guide.
Always confirm final price with dealer.
Category Antique Furniture
Date 1895
Late Victorian Antiques Material Mahogany
Origin English
Maker Shapland & Petter | Furniture maker
Item code as402a3649 / 17946
Status Sold
£1250.00 
$1594.38 
€1459.75 
$
€
Conversion rates as of 7/APR/2025. Euro & Dollar prices will vary and should only be used as a guide.
Always confirm final price with dealer.
View all stock from
Camden Antiques
Units 20, 19, and 18The Vinery,
Poling
West Sussex
BN18 9PY
Tel : 07887 503904
Non UK callers : +44 7887 503904
Get directions to Camden Antiques
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Art Deco Figured Walnut Pedestal Desk
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Antique Victorian Mahogany Desk By Spillman & Co
George I Style Burr Walnut Bureau on Stand Desk
Inlaid wood Genoese trumeau from the 20th century
Mahogany Three Drawer Writing Table
Pair of important Georgian satinwood cylinder
20th Century Dutch Oak Bureau
Fine quality 19thc Goncalo alves bureau plat