A German inlaid walnut, tulipwood, ebony, mahogany and rosewood marquetry writing desk, after a design by Friedrich August Stüler (1800-1865) and Johann Heinrich Strack (1805-1880) Berlin, circa 1862

Overall good condition; the top with various old marks and scratches, slight shrinkage to the bandings with some small age cracks; the underside of the top with some later glue at joins with the bearers; the underside of the top with some age cracks and shrinkage to the planks; the short edge of one bearer with a replaced molding; chip to one petal of the flower head centering the apron of each trestle support; overall with some old marks, scratches, scuffs and bruises.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Friedrich August Stüler was a contemporary and student of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. After his student years Stüler travelled throughout Western and Eastern Europe with Heinrich Strack to broaden his horizons and to find work. After some failed attempts to receive commissions in Russia, he returned to Berlin, where he became the Inspector of Royal Buildings and in 1842 Royal Architect to William IV of Prussia. In his designs for both buildings and objects of decorative art, Stüler incorporated Renaissance and Greco-Roman elements with Christian motifs and eventually created the "style" that is now referred to as Prussian Arcadia and that chracterizes the Wilhelmian era. For a piece comparable to the lot offered here, see Bärbel Medinger und Julia Berger, K. F. Schinkel Möbel un Interieur, München, Berlin, p. 28, ill. 9-10, and p. 202 ill. 1.