Bookcase Section of a Desk and Bookcase
Unknown Artist
c. 1780
Medium
mahogany and pine, brass hardware, gilding
Dimensions
241.9 × 106 × 56.5 cm
Classification
Furniture and woodwork
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Mrs. Lawrence Hitchcock
Accession Number
1990.96.b
Rights
Public Domain
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 ...