Fine William IV Period Mahogany Writing Table Used by Gary Oldman as Churchill in The Darkest Hour

A fine William IV period mahogany writing table used by Gary Oldman as Churchill in The Darkest Hour, This fine table has an unusual, inverted breakfront outline to the front and back, a single drawer running across the frieze on unusual barrel casters inset into the draw support with an offset escutcheon. The corners are everted and lead to scrolling cabriole legs with hairy paw feet and original castors. The Mahogany used throughout is of fine figure and colour. The replaced leather is also of the finest quality. Provenance: Previously property of a film prop hire company and used in the film The Darkest Hour as Sir Winston Churchill’s personal writing table in his study. This table was used as part of the film set for the 2017 production The Darkest Hour, telling the story of Sir Winston Churchill’s wartime exploits. Gary Oldman starred as Churchill and the present table was used to represent the prime minister’s personal writing table in his study. The making of this table can be given with some confidence to Gillows. In the later 1820s, the firm began experimenting with what became known as the rococo revival style and a writing table executed for J. Pultenay in circa 1829 is illustrated in Dr Susan Stuart’s important monograph on the Gillows firm in colour plate E4. It is also worth comparing the present table with an earlier piece supplied to Tatton Park in 1812 The early genesis of the style being clear in the form of the legs utilised. Also comparable is a brass inlaid table, c.1830, believed to have been supplied by Gillows to the Earls of Fitzwilliam at Wentworth Woodhouse and sold at Christie’s on the 22nd of November 2007 We also have another slightly earlier example of a writing table in this same style that was made for the Thynne family, of Longleat, around the same time as the Wentworth Woodhouse piece and can be seen here.