Australian Wood Review - June 2018

http://www.woodreview.com.au 85

this classical style of elegant Parisian furniture, which was
adopted by important makers in London (for example John
McLean), such was its influence at that time.

For me the Neoclassical period represents the height of
refinement in furniture making and remains unsurpassed.
Design influences of this period were diverse and included
the archaeological discoveries of the late 1700s such as
Herculaneum and Pompeii, along with the works of Rome
and ancient Egypt. In particular, works of this period
feature exquisite detailing of veneers and marquetry inlay.

I began on this personal project about four years ago
during out-of-work hours, although the idea had presented
itself sometime before. Examples of Neoclassicism in
English antique furniture catalogues formed the initial
idea which was followed up with full scale drawings and
measurements. Without having the actual dimensions it
took time to draw the individual elements to scale with
the correct proportions.

Library tables were often designed to be a focal point for
display of rare or early manuscripts and publications. For this
reason they were sometimes higher than conventional writing
desks, which were on average, about 770–800mm. Thus the
library table could be used from a standing position rather
than a seated one, as is the case with this example.

The curved and ribbed brass corner mounts were hand cut
on a milling machine, as were the tapered and reeded brass
mounts for the splayed legs. Positioning these brass mounts
proved challenging as did the placement of the 1.5mm
U-shaped brass inlay on both sides of the lyre support.
After the waste veneer had been chiseled and scraped

out, the brass sat snugly in its groove and both sides were

pressed simultaneously with araldite.

The top section of the lyre with its central brass anthemion

is connected to the lower U-shaped curve by two tenons.

Here the core timber has its grain running horizontally

while in the lower curved section it runs vertically.

The veneering of all four faces of the curve gives much

additional strength.

The centre block connecting the two splayed legs also

has its core grain running horizontally. The sides of the

block house the dovetailed joints in the legs. A steel brace

5mm thick and moulded to shape has been let in to the

underside of the legs and centre block for added support.

The core timbers are made from steamed European beech

and Queensland maple. The drawers are made from old

cedar. All polished surfaces, except the turned stretcher

elements, are veneered in 1.5mm bandsawn Madagascan

rosewood (unstained), and finished with button shellac and

Liberon beeswax. The brass handles were bought in France

and were made using the lost wax method.

While this one-off project will not be repeated, it’s one

that has certainly deepened my understanding of a style

of furniture I much admire.

Photos: Brian Rodgers

Learn more about Jamie Pappas at http://www.classicantiquerestoration.com.au

FEATURE

Above: The hide was hand coloured and embossed with gold
by a UK artisan to the maker’s design.

Right: The lyre symbolises Neoclassicism to the full. It
was incorporated into furniture design in varying forms as a
representative feature of the ancient regimes of Greece and Rome.