Mahogany Eliphalet Chapin Desk
This desk was completed after exhaustively measuring and photographing the original (attributed to Windsor County (CT) craftsman Eliphalet Chapin (1741-1807)) at the Garvan Collection at Yale. The hidden compartment along with its complex release method, was also duplicated for the client. At the completion of the project, the drawings were provided to Yale for use by other scholars.
The front slant top is from a single piece of mahogany, with cleats to prevent splitting and warping. The hand-carved fan on the front and the hand cast period appropriate hardware made this a spectacular focal point in the home.
Mahogany, with poplar secondary wood, finished with hand rubbed shellac.