Sarasota Estate Auction
Live Auction

Fine Art, Silver, Rare Books & Antiques - November Day 2

Sun, Nov 9, 2025 11:00AM EST
  2025-11-09 11:00:00 2025-11-09 11:00:00 America/New_York Sarasota Estate Auction Sarasota Estate Auction : Fine Art, Silver, Rare Books & Antiques - November Day 2 https://bid.sarasotaestateauction.com/auctions/sarasota-estate/fine-art-silver-rare-books-antiques---november-day-2-20122
Over 1,000 lots will be offered in day 2 of our 2 day auction weekend! There are multiple lots of important fine art from landscapes and etchings to old masters and portraits. We have a Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre Porcelain Octagonal Bowl, Rare Books, a Fantastic Collection of Sterling Silver, Oriental Rugs, a Lifetime Stamp Collection, Old Master Paintings, Asian Antiquities, and more!
Sarasota Estate Auction sarasotaestateauction@gmail.com
Lot 1417

British Maitland & Glascoe Diminutive Mahogany Drop-Front Secretary Desk

Estimate: $100 - $200
Current Bid
$50

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$100 $25
$250 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,500 $250
$7,500 $500
$20,000 $1,000
$50,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
$250,000 $10,000

British Maitland & Glascoe Diminutive Mahogany Drop-Front Secretary Desk. A remarkable piece of work, with many working brass hinges and handles, and numerous drawers carved in exquisite detail. A metal label affixed to the bottom gives the makers, based in London and Seoul. 

Condition: Commensurate with age. 

Size: 17 1/2 x 10 x 18 1/4 in. 

 

The tradition of making diminutive furniture, or miniature furniture as it is also known, has origins in Europe, particularly in Germany as early as the 13th Century. These pieces were not considered toys, but were instead used to teach young girls how to take care of a household, on a smaller scale. Although miniature figures and objects have existed since antiquity, as observed in the tombs of Pharaohs and Chinese Emperors, it wasn’t until the 17th Century that they began to be produced in exquisite detail, with elaborate multi-drawer cabinets, tableware sets, and even whole rooms crafted with minute working parts and pieces. In the early 18th Century the style began to emerge in the Americas, and by the 19th Century it was an industry of its own, as salesmen began to travel with the diminutive works to easily show potential buyers what a piece of furniture would look like without the customer needing to travel to a store to look at them. Commonplace furnishings such as desks, chests, pie safes, and chairs demonstrated remarkable carpentry skills, but by the 20th Century the style had shifted more towards the dollhouses which remain popular to this day, growing more simple and streamlined as they began to be mass-produced. Today these diminutive pieces are considered rare and extremely prized by collectors, showcasing a lost art from an earlier era. 

Commensurate with age. 

All items are sold AS IS. Lot and condition details are for descriptive purposes only. Sarasota Estate Auction is not responsible for errors and/or omissions of condition. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is perfect or free from wear, flaws, or characteristics of age. Please bid according to your own expertise, or request any additional information and/or photographs you deem necessary.

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Sarasota Estate Auction IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING! BUYER MUST ARRANGE SHIPPING. All shipping will be handled by the winning bidder. Sarasota Estate Auction recommends obtaining shipping quotes before bidding on any items in our auctions. To obtain a quote, please email info@premiershipment.com. Be sure to include the lot you are interested in and address you would like the quote for. Refunds are not offered under any circumstances base on shipping issues, this is up to the buyer to arrange this beforehand.

BIDDER MUST ARRANGE THEIR OWN SHIPPING. Although SEA will NOT arrange shipping for you, we do recommend our preferred shipper Premier Shipping & Crating at info@premiershipment.com You MUST email them, please DO NOT CALLl. If you'd like to compare shipping quotes or need more options, feel free to contact any local Sarasota shippers. You can email any one of the shippers below as well. Be sure to include the lot(s) you won and address you would like it shipped to. Brennan with The UPS Store #0089 - 941-413-5998 - Store0089@theupsstore.com AK with The UPS Store #2689 - 941-954-4575 - Store2689@theupsstore.com Steve with The UPS Store #4074 - 941-358-7022 - Store4074@theupsstore.com Everett with PakMail - 941-751-2070 - paktara266@gmail.com

17 1/2 x 10 x 18 1/4 in.