This early 20th-century fall-front secretary belongs to the English-influenced tradition of domestic writing furniture that bridged late Arts and Crafts restraint with the structural clarity of earlier Victorian forms. Executed in richly figured tiger oak, the piece favors legibility and order over ornament, designed as an instrument of record, correspondence, and daily administration, where order itself was a form of refinement rather than display.
The sloped fall-front lowers to reveal a fitted interior with vertical dividers and a single small drawer, proportioned for letters, folios, and writing tools. Below, two full-width drawers are constructed with dovetail joinery and framed by a carved border that follows the natural movement of the oak grain. The cabinet is raised on barley twist legs joined by a stretcher base, a vernacular English form that lends both sculptural presence and grounded stability.
Surface work was limited to careful cleaning and selective sanding to soften abrasions along the front while preserving signs of age and use. Missing lock hardware was replaced, completing the original configuration. Drawer pulls were replaced with period-appropriate hardware, and areas of loss within the carved framing were reconstructed by hand to restore visual continuity without overdefinition. Drawer mechanisms were adjusted to ensure smooth operation. A unified stain was applied to clarify tone and deepen the character of the tiger oak.
The Tigrane Compendium is well suited to a study, library, bedroom, or quiet passage where writing, sorting, and reflection remain part of daily rhythm. When closed, it reads as a composed cabinet. When opened, it resolves into a working surface designed for attention and order.
Available through private acquisition.
This early 20th-century fall-front secretary belongs to the English-influenced tradition of domestic writing furniture that bridged late Arts and Crafts restraint with the structural clarity of earlier Victorian forms. Executed in richly figured tiger oak, the piece favors legibility and order over ornament, designed as an instrument of record, correspondence, and daily administration, where order itself was a form of refinement rather than display.
The sloped fall-front lowers to reveal a fitted interior with vertical dividers and a single small drawer, proportioned for letters, folios, and writing tools. Below, two full-width drawers are constructed with dovetail joinery and framed by a carved border that follows the natural movement of the oak grain. The cabinet is raised on barley twist legs joined by a stretcher base, a vernacular English form that lends both sculptural presence and grounded stability.
Surface work was limited to careful cleaning and selective sanding to soften abrasions along the front while preserving signs of age and use. Missing lock hardware was replaced, completing the original configuration. Drawer pulls were replaced with period-appropriate hardware, and areas of loss within the carved framing were reconstructed by hand to restore visual continuity without overdefinition. Drawer mechanisms were adjusted to ensure smooth operation. A unified stain was applied to clarify tone and deepen the character of the tiger oak.
The Tigrane Compendium is well suited to a study, library, bedroom, or quiet passage where writing, sorting, and reflection remain part of daily rhythm. When closed, it reads as a composed cabinet. When opened, it resolves into a working surface designed for attention and order.
Available through private acquisition.
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