Secretary Desk, Upper Bookcase, Solid Mahogany

This is a reproduction of a double bow front secretary/desk built in the mid 1700s in Salem, Mass. It was built and finished in December of 2012 and represents more than 1,000 hours. The main wood is absolutely stunning highly figured South American Mahogany. The secondary woods are quarter sawn cherry for all drawer and support parts. The back of both the top and bottom carcases is flat sawn Sapele and done as frame-and-panel style. The hardware is hand cast in England and was replicated directly from hardware on a similar secretary built in the mid 1700s in Massachusetts. There are 29 drawers in the piece. Several of them are secret drawers in the Gallery section. All drawers are hand dovetailed. The 4 main drawers in the bottom case have locks. The drop down lid and door panels are from rare crotch Mahogany. The door panels are butterfly matched from one piece of solid stock (not veneered). Hand finished in shellac and wax. This is a one-of-a-kind piece, fastidiously hand crafted in the Old World style using 21st century glue and construction techniques for better control of seasonal changes of wood movement. There is a complete design and photo history of the entire process and it is available.