Bidspirit auction | Massachusetts Federal Mahogany Secretary

Massachusetts Federal Mahogany Secretary - Origin: Probably Southeastern Massachusetts Date: Circa 1810-1820 Period/Style: Federal, Sheraton design Materials: Mahogany and figured mahogany veneer with mahogany crossbanding, white pine and other secondary woods, wood and brass hardware, and later green baize Form: Compact blind-door secretary-bookcase Description: An unusually compact Southeastern Massachusetts Federal mahogany secretary-bookcase retaining handwritten Parker-family provenance labels. The projecting cornice rises above a crossbanded frieze and paired blind doors displaying richly figured mahogany panels within crossbanded borders. The interior combines adjustable shelving with pigeonholes and small drawers. Three shallow drawers surmount a hinged, crossbanded fall-front writing surface lined in green baize. The lower case incorporates long and divided vertical storage drawers above a shaped scalloped apron and ring-turned tapering legs. Dimensions: 62 in. H, 41.5 in. W, 20 in. D. Provenance: According to two handwritten labels affixed inside, the secretary was used by Ward M. Parker and came from the Parker home at the head of Little Harbor in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. A second label records the piece as a Mahogany Sheraton secretary with cross-banded inlay and drawers, circa 1810, and documents its May 1974 transfer from the Marion Parker home in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, to David A. and Imogene B. Parker of Brandon, Florida. Shipping note: While Stevens Auction Company does not provide packing and shipping services, we do have a list of recommended third-party shippers to assist you in shipping to and from our facility. Please note that property must be removed from our premises within fifteen (15) days following the auction. Property not removed within this time frame is subject to a storage charge of $10 per day per item as outlined in our terms and conditions. Please review our website, stevensauction.com, for a list of recommended shippers and other information. Please contact us at info@stevensauction.com if you require further assistance. Condition: Retains an older refinished and polished surface with scattered scratches, abrasions, color variation, and age-related shrinkage. Vertical veneer splits, separations, and localized repairs are visible to the figured door panels, with additional minor wear and losses along the crossbanded edges. The green baize writing surface is later and exhibits staining, impressions, and wear. Wood pulls and fitted interior elements appear period, although complete originality has not been established. Locks, drawer operation, writing-leaf supports, and structural stability have not been independently tested. Dimensions: 62 x 41.5 x 20 in