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POA
An Arts & Crafts oak dresser designed by Charles Locke Eastlake with good provenance.
The dresser top with chevron back boards and four open shelves with turned supports and through pegged joints to the top shelf and carved plumes to each upper side. Each shelf with a groove to the backs designed to display plates with other ornaments in front or books, with a large open work area, the base with two large central drawers flanked by carved florets with an open area below, all flanked by a pair of cupboards with stylized brass handles and hinges on stile feet with chevron carved details
The dresser was originally commissioned by a parson, who chose the oak tree from which it was to be made. It was later purchased by Charles Fairbrother in 1908 when he settled in Chichester as headmaster of the Oliver Whitby School (Bluecoat school) from 1908-1931 and was in use in the school in the first decade of the last century and has been in the Fairbrother family for over 100 years.
The last two images are pages from the book "The Victorian Home" by Ralph Dutton published by Batsford, 1954 which shows the dresser displayed with blue and white china.
Charles Lock Eastlake worked mainly in oak and his dressers designed for the drawing room were large majestic affairs for the display of china, circa 1870.
Measures: Height 83", depth 25 1/2", width 72".
