A William and Mary polychrome painted fall-front desk-on-stand late 17th century

Overall good condition, appears to retain much of the original painted decoration especially to the slant front and sides, the top however appears to have losses and inpainting to the decoration, some inpainting to legs, various minor age cracks to top and slant front, minor wear to the edges and with very minor chips and losses to paint. Please note this piece has not been inspected with a blacklight.
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This desk on stand is nearly identical to a walnut example decorated with intricate walnut and fruitwood marquetry, sold Christie’s, London, July 1999, lot 35 (£140,000.00) and is illustrated, A. Bowett, English Furniture, 1660-1714, From Charles II to Queen Anne, Woodbridge, 2002, p. 217, fig. 7:43. Bowett notes that this particular form of desk on stand was ingenious in that it is one of the first example to make use of lopers concealed within the carcase.  Previous examples made use of gate-legs to the front, which were not easy to use and wasted space.

The decoration of this desk on stand is interesting in that it does not imitate Chinese or Japanese lacquer.  Nevertheless, the decoration would have been referred to as ‘japanned’ decoration during the period.  Bowett notes that ‘as well as being a thriving branch of the furniture trade, japanning was promoted as a domestic pastime, suitable for amateurs and young women.  Professional japanners like Stalker and Parker scorned the pretensions of “those whiffling, impotent fellows, who pretend to each young Ladies that Art, in which they themselves have need to be instructed…” ‘.(ibid, p. 161)  A table with floral decoration from Lyme Park, Cheshire, was probably painted by Elizabeth Legh, wife of Richard Legh together with a pair of candle stands.

The decoration of the present desk is very fine and is evocative of Dutch flower painting of the 17th century.  Given the number of Dutch émigrés to London during the latter part of the 17th century and the popularity of Dutch flower painting throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, it would seem that the professional artist who painted this cabinet may have been Dutch or trained in the Dutch school.