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Desk Was Designed By British Military Man To Save Space

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By JAY MOORE Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 28, 2008

I own an antique desk that was made in 1760. It has bracket feet and dovetailed construction and is in good condition. An old label reads "New York, N.Y." and "10 miles, 6-pence." What is it worth?

D.S.

Tampa

It is a Davenport desk made in England between 1875 and 1885. These little desks have writing surfaces that lift to expose storage, with drawers and/or cupboards built into one side. They were designed to save space.

According to experts, this style of desk was named after a British military captain named Davenport who commissioned his design from the well-known cabinetmakers Gillows of London in the early 19th century.

I suspect that most Victorian Davenport desks were made for British homes, where space was at a premium. It would retail for about $500.

What do you think about my antique Greek vase? It has a drawing of Zeus and Athena and is marked "Made in Greece by D. Vassilopoulos, 225/B." It is 7 inches tall. Is it real or is it a fake?

A.S.

Richmond

Fake? The proper term is reproduction. This modern vase, perhaps based upon an antique dating back at least 2,500 years, was not meant to deceive, thus the clear signature and style or model number.
Genuine antiquities are expensive. The last major auction of a group of Greek vases was 8 years ago. A collection of 157 pieces, mostly from a private American group, brought more than $7 million at Christie's.

This reproduction of an ancient Greek vase would retail for about $100. Information about potter D. Vassilopoulos is sketchy. I do know that he has made careful reproductions of many museum pieces.

Have a question about antiques? E-mail a complete description with a clear digital image (.jpg file) to athome@tampatrib.com. Include a name, address and daytime phone number. Regular mail can be sent with clear photographs (plain-paper prints or Polaroid

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