Portable Mahogany Campaign Bookcase

Portable Mahogany Campaign Bookcase

Sold
Reference

82441

An exceptional, two-part, mahogany campaign Bookcase.

The bookcase is made of both solid mahogany and veneer with pine used as the secondary timber. The doors to the deeper base section are panelled with the top section glazed. The interior of the top section and the two shelves are painted in an off-white colour. The backs of both are panelled in pine.

To dismantle the bookcase, the pediment cornice is removed and then the top section is lifted off. The bottom cupboard section can then be lifted off the plinth base. The cornice is located in place to the top by four wooden bars, whilst that in turn sits on two lugs to the top of the cupboard.

All the doors are hinged to the same side as opposed to being hinged to the outside edges and opened from the middle. This is because the two sections have further hinges to the middle to allow them to be closed with the doors facing each other so that they form a 'box' for travel.

Although by its nature the bookcase is fairly plain there is some decoration to most parts in the form of subtle reeded moulding that doesn't overhang and would be an impediment to achieving a box shape for ease of packing. There is also, of course, a classical cornice.

Although we have had a wide variety of portable book cabinets, half the height of this one and mostly made to sit on a campaign chest, full size bookcases such as this one are hide to find. We have had one before and two others are illustrated in Brawer but none of them are glazed.

This is an important piece of campaign furniture and its size with a narrow depth makes its practical to fit into most spaces. Early 19th Century.

Dimensions:

Height 175.83 cm / 69 "
Width 91.4 cm / 36 "
Depth 21.58 cm / 8 "
Period

Early 19th Century.

Medium

Mahogany

Country

England

Style

Campaign Bookcase

EXHIBITIONS
The Salute
Condition

Good

RELATED ITEMS