Nantes scriban in solid mahogany

Rare slant-front desk in the form of a lower cabinet, or scriban.
Nantes work from the 18th century.

Of compact proportions, this charming multi-functional piece, made of beautiful finely grained solid Saint-Domingue mahogany with a rich figuring, is presented in excellent original condition with a lustrous waxed finish.

It should be noted that, at least among port furniture, this type of combined piece is rarer than the more common chest-of-drawers scriban.
Its flat façade opens with two doors featuring polylobed mouldings treated with slight asymmetry, revealing a central shelf as well as two drawers fitted with English-style brass handles beneath the frieze, while the lower rail is adorned with finely carved opposing scrolls.
The uprights are also moulded and terminate in so-called “escargot” feet (locally referred to as “bigorneaux” in the Nantes region), resting on pads, while the lower rail is deeply shaped and moulded with a bordered quarter-round, enhanced with double scrolls typical of the Nantes style.
The fall-front, made from a fine mahogany panel framed with a wide mitred surround, opens to reveal a shaped interior with a tabernacle door flanked by two perfectly concealed vertical drawers, eight tiered drawers, as well as a secret compartment (known as a “cave”).
The sides of the piece are also shaped and moulded, with a touch of asymmetry harmoniously echoing that of the front doors.

An entirely original port piece, without patches or replacements, retaining its period locks and keys, escutcheons, knobs, hinges, and brass fittings from the Nantes region.

An elegant and well-crafted piece, in superb condition,
representing a rare example of a Nantes scriban.

Dimensions: 0.93 m high x 1.03 m wide x 0.55 m deep.