AN UNUSUAL IRISH VICTORIAN WALNUT CAMPAIGN DESK, BY ROSS & CO, DUBLIN, CIRCA 1860

AN UNUSUAL IRISH VICTORIAN WALNUT CAMPAIGN DESK BY ROSS & CO, DUBLIN, CIRCA 1860The tan leather-lined top with hinged flaps supported by hinged compartments opening to reveal eight drawers and with a shelf in the recess, on a plinth and castors, labelled ROSS & CO MANUFACTURERS 8, 9, 10, ELLIS'S QUAY, DUBLIN76cm high, 124cm wide, 64cm deep openRoss and Co. of Dublin (c.1921 – 1907) were one of the mostimportant makers of campaign furniture in the Victorian era and considered aleader in the market, even endorsed by the British Army establishment. Theywere located throughout their existence at Ellis’s Quay, Dublin, purposelyclose to Collins Barracks, one of the biggest in Europe. They exhibited at theIrish Industrial Exhibition, Dublin, 1853, and the Dublin InternationalExhibition, 1865. Ross prospered throughout the 19th century, their reputation further enhancedby the approval of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales in 1864. Their work was of highquality but also exhibited originality of design, sometimes adorned withcarving or mouldings, perhaps an unusual arrangement of drawers, and they also putcomfort at a premium. Unusually they favoured the use of walnut, recognisingits rising popularity in Victorian Britain. (See Desmond Fizgerald, ‘DublinDirectories and Trade Labels’, Furniture History, vol. 21, 185, pp. 258– 282, and Nicholas A. Brawer, British Campaign Furniture Elegance underCanvas 1740 – 1914, 2001, pp. 199 – 204).A similar oak folding desk by Ross & Co. was sold Doyles, New York, 20 May 2012,lot 340.

Condition
Fair condition, structurally secure with wear and tear consistent with age and use. There are dents marks and scratches and shrinkage cracks. The veneers around the edge of the top, particularly to the right hand flap, with some splitting and loss.

Buyer's Premium
33.6% up to
£25,000.00
32.4% up to
£500,000.00
31.2% above
£500,000.00