An early Arts and Crafts Cotswold school walnut bureau of petite proportions, the design attributed to Ernest Gimson.

The quality of this craftsman hand made bureau is almost unsurpassable. The fold down front inlaid with holly chequered string inlay, opening with stylised butterfly hinges onto protruding supports with chamfered ends that extend to support the writing area from underneath it. Inside reveals two drawers and six open pigeon holes above with a central arched door with segmented top divided by ebony string inlay and an ebony key stone with ebony pillars to each side emulating a grand architectural doorway.

The main body has through tenon details with exposed dovetail joints to the top and sides.

The drawer fronts having deep chamfered panels with the central drawer made from burr walnut giving a beautiful subtle contrast to the entire aesthetic of this bureau.

There is lots of storage with eight drawers in all, retaining the original polished medieval style steel handles with pierced circular back plates and little drop handles.

The whole sat on bracket feet with a sweeping under tier.

Craftsmans name E.R. WHISHAW stamped to drawer top.

Furniture doesn't come much purer to the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds than this beautiful little functional Work of Art.