Desk c. 18th century

This desk was created by an anonymous maker and its date of creation is unknown. The desk speaks to us about the history of class and taste. We can see its fine wood, brass fittings and elegant ball and claw feet. These details speak to the fashion for refined furniture amongst wealthy consumers in the eighteenth century. This kind of desk would typically be found in the houses of merchants, lawyers, or landowners in Britain or America. These were men who were part of an emerging professional class and might use this desk to manage correspondence and household accounts. The rise of such a class was intimately bound up with the growth of trade and the expansion of colonial administration. Understanding these historical relationships requires us to consult a wide range of resources, from trade statistics to probate inventories and architectural pattern books. These tell us something about the relationship of furniture to social change.