A George I Walnut bureau cabinet by William Berry dated 1724 (1724 England)

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William Berry 1724

101.00cm wide    255.00cm high    57.00cm deep (39.76 inches wide  100.39 inches high  22.44 inches deep)

“Early Georgian Furniture", Adam Bowett, Page 68, plates 2:32,2:33 published by Antique Collectors Club.

illustrated by Dr.Adam Bowett at the "Furniture History Society"Annual Symposium 2003, Victoria And Albert Museum, London, as the earliest documented English furniture designed with bracket feet .

AN IMPORTANT GEORGE I WALNUT BUREAU CABINET signed and dated William Berry 1724.
This cabinet exemplifies the finest craftsmanship and design in English furniture. The top, in the form of a broken arch is flanked by two carved figures of classical form with a central figure perched above, still retaining some original gilding. The panel below having a small concave shaped mirror with a bevelled mirror plate, and the dome shaped main doors also with bevelled mirror plates. The doors opening to reveal a fully fitted interior with numerous drawers and pigeonholes and with twin sliding narrow drawers with brass capitals.
The bureau beneath with a central cupboard and three drawers inside which slide forward to reveal a secret compartment with three further drawers.
The lower section with three long and two short drawers with finely engraved handles and escutcheons.
With inlaid feather banding throughout, including most unusually feather banding to the twin candle slides. The original brass mountings also reflecting the fine attention to detail and with engraving to all the smaller escutcheons.
It is quite a rare feature to have classical figures surmounts such as these on English furniture, for similar known examples see figure 23, page128, "The Dictionary of English Furniture" by Macquoid & Edwards, and page 76 M.Harris & Sons Centenary Book, 1968.