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An important Cotswold School walnut breakfront glazed bookcase/cabinet designed by Edward Barnsley, and made by Charles Bray, dated 1932.
Provenance Mrs D.E. Neale, commissioned in 1932.
Exhibited from October to November 1982 by Fischer Fine Art London in 'Aspects of Victorian and Edwardian Decorative Arts', illustrated on page 13, with it's description on page 15. Catalogue entry number 6.
Retaining the two original Fischer Fine Art exhibition labels and circular exhibit number to the back of the bookcase top and bottom.
With fine ebony and chequer inlaid detailing around each of the upper glazed doors with octagonal bog oak handles and the original adjustable shelves behind. Flanked by upright slender concealed cupboards with adjustable shelves and further open adjustable shelves to each end. The lower section with three conforming breakfront cupboards to the front all with double fielded doors and further fitted end cupboards, opening to reveal five separate segmented drawers of various depths to each end.
When one studies this piece closely you will notice the care and attention in the way the Walnut wood has been chosen to mirror the grain figuring, using pieces from the same part of the tree so the Walnut mirrors itself. You can see this best in the two slim upper doors to each far side where the grain reflects itself.
The bookcase comes in three parts making it easy to move and assemble :-
1. The upper glazed part.
2.The lower base with three cupboards and end cupboards.
3. The base plinth.
