Schoolmasters Desk - Help needed with ID and/or appraisal

[kam353]

My grandmother thinks schoolmasters desk is from the 1800's. Dimensions: 3'11x2'1x1'8

Three pics:

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/3231/imag0009te.jpg
http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/1664/imag0016j.jpg
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/860/imag0010uz.jpg


Any help with identifying and/or appraisal would be greatly appreciated!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Welcome to the forum! I'm not an expert so I will let the others correct me if I am wrong, but I'm going to stick my neck way out there and say your schoolmaster's desk would date from about 1840-1880, based on the "bible box" style. Here's some info about the origins of these desks, plus a photo of one that looks similar in style to yours, dated 1840:
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/bible-boxes-were-also-desks/

Another from 1830, a little simpler in design:
http://www.griffithsantiques.com/SchoolmastersDesk.html

This one has 1879 carved under the lid:
http://www.jmcabinetmaker.com/images/item-deskschoolmasters.jpg

It looks like the later ones have the nicer detailing, so I'm going to guestimate yours is on the later end of the range above. Let's see what the others have to say. NEAT desk!!!