Figure 288 shows a reverse serpentine-front, slant-top scrutoire with cabinet top which is in the Bolles Collection. The pediment top is very unusual in that the mouldings of the scroll do not extend into the horizontal mouldings, but both sets of mouldings are complete and distinct. The mouldings of the scroll are the usual quarter-round, fillet, cove, astragal, fillet, and cove, and on the inner ends of the scrolls are rosettes. The horizontal mouldings consist of a fillet, a cyma reversa, a dentil moulding, a fillet, and a cove. On each side are fluted pilasters, and the doors have sunken panels with the edges about them cut in cyma curves. Below the doors are candle-stick slides. The interior arrangement is quite like that found in Figure 274, except that it has three long plain drawers at the base. The end and centre drawers are concave blocked with shell carving, and the drawers under the pigeon-holes are in raised blocking. The base moulding is a cyma reversa and a fillet, and at the centre of the skirt is carved a half-rosette. The feet are ogee brackets.

Figure 289 shows a scrutoire of the Sheraton period. The desk part is covered with a tambour lid, which rolls back like a modern office desk and is made of alternate strips of rosewood and satin-wood. When open the bed of the table pulls out and there is a rest that can be raised to any desired angle. The drawers and pigeon-holes are of satin-wood. The front is of satin-wood with mahogany inlay, and on the stiles at either end is a medallion of an urn with flowers. The legs are tapering, made of mahogany with inlay of satin-wood. This piece is American made and was found in Philadelphia. It is the property of the writer. Such pieces were called tambour writing-tables.

Reversed Serpentine-Front Scrutoire with cabinet top, 1765-80.

Figure 290 shows two views of a beautiful little scrutoire which is the property of Mr. John J. Gilbert, of Baltimore. It is made of mahogany and satinwood beautifully enriched with marquetry. On the top is inlaid a rosette with streamers, and a rosette is inlaid on each end. The desk front is solid and in oval form, and at the centre is the figure of a kneeling woman and festoons of flowers and leaves with bow knots. The two drawer fronts are inlaid with similar festoons as are also the ends. The legs are in the form known as Marlborough legs and have an inlay of pendent flowers. The table section of the desk pulls out and furnishes a large surface to write upon. The interior is finished with pigeon-holes and drawers with festoons, and at the centre is a door on which is inlaid an urn surrounded by a wreath. On either side of the doors are the two narrow paper-drawers on which are inlaid pendent flowers. This style of scrutoire was called by Shearer, who designed many of them, "cylinder-fall."

Figure 289.Tambour Writing-Table, 1780-90.

Cylinder-Fall Desk, 1780-90.

Figure 291. Bookcase and Scrutoire, 1780-90.

Figure 292. Bookcase and Scrutoire, 1780-90.

Figure 291 shows a scrutoire with bookcase top in the Sheraton style which belongs to Mr. John J. Gilbert, of Baltimore. The pediment top is scrolled, the inner ends being finished with simple rosettes, and below is an elaborate latticework composed of C scrolls. The mouldings consist of a fillet, a cyma recta, a fillet, a quarter-round, and a cove in the upper section, and below is added a moulding somewhat resembling the meander pattern. The cove across the sides and front is cut with Gothic openings in a manner which was often used by Sheraton. The glass doors are also cut in Gothic form. What appears to be the two upper drawers is the front of a desk which lets down on a quadrant in the usual manner, and below are three drawers. The piece stands on straight bracket feet.

Another Sheraton scrutoire with bookcase top, the property of Mr. Francis H. Bigelow, is shown in Figure 292. The pediment top and lattice-work is very similar to that shown in the preceding figure, but the cove moulding is cut into arches with points terminating in acorns. Below this is an inlaid frieze. The glass in the doors is cut in geometrical shapes. The desk portion is concealed behind what appear to be two drawers in the same manner as in the preceding piece. Inside are pigeon-holes and drawers, with a door at the centre and paper-drawers at the sides. Below are three drawers. The piece stands on slightly ogee bracket feet.

Another style of scrutoire found occasionally in this country, but more often in England, is a fire-screen scrutoire, an example of which appears in Figure 293, which is at the Van Cortlandt Manor, at Croton, New York. The front drops, disclosing a set of shallow pigeon-holes. Such pieces were made by Shearer and Hepplewhite in the last quarter of the eighteenth century, and this piece is almost identical with one of the illustrations among Shearer's designs, and is undoubtedly of English make.

We now come to a very different type of desk from those hitherto described. Figure 294 is a desk used by General Washington when President of the United States in 1789, and is now in the Governor's Room in the City Hall, New York. The wood is mahogany and the fluted legs and rosette trimmings are of the Sheraton style. The brass handles are found on both sides and ends, and there are seven drawers on each side, while the brasses at either end and the moulding about imaginary drawers convey the impression that the ends are also furnished with drawns. At each end of the top are shelves for papers.

Figure 293. Fire-Screen Scrutoire, 1780-90.

Figure 294. Writing-Table, 1789.