A George II revival mahogany pedestal desk in the style of William Hallett second quarter 19th century

This beautifully carved library table was most probably made in the second quarter of the 19^th century as part of the first ‘Early Georgian’ or ‘Palladian’ revival.  The quality of the carving and the structure evokes the style and design of the 1730s – 50s by carvers such as William Hallett and William Vile.

A nearly identical desk from the S.B. Joel collection is illustrated Percy Macquoid and Ralph Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, rev. ed., Woodbridge, 1983, vol. III, p. 246 fig. 15.  In addition, plate XXIII in William Ince and John Mayhew's pattern book The Universal System of Household Furniture, originally published in 1762, illustrates a similar desk on cabriole legs. (fig. 1)