We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning and very rare, fully stamped, a blain & son liverpool, pollard oak, open bookcase / cupboard circa 1840 victorian a very good looking and rare piece, pollard oak is highly collectable and was used by the finest furniture manufacturers, this piece is stamped to the top of one of the doors a blain & son liverpool this is the stamp for arthur blain who established the cabinet making business in the william iv period of 1835, at 35 paradise street, liverpool. The earliest examples are stamped with just a blain liverpool and the later victorian pieces carry the a blain & sons stamp. Arthur blain died in 1868 when the business was continued by arthur’s son, william hughes blain who died in 1909. Their works were recorded in ‘the dictionary of english furniture makers’, 1660-1840, beard & giblert, maney 1986 when you see pieces of furniture by a blain of liverpool, you can be sure of quality craftsmanship, created by their skilled cabinet makers. They mainly built their pieces form hardwoods such as mahogany and walnut, beautifully hand finished with french polish the bookcase has fully adjustable top shelves so it can accommodate almost any size book, it can also be used as a pot cupboard but of course it is rather grand for such a use, its better suited to a fine english style library in terms of the condition, we have cleaned waxed and polished it from top to bottom, there will be plenty of patina marks from genuine age and honest use and some small losses to the ornate carving. Dimensions height:- 221.5cm width:- 89cm depth:- 50.5cm please note all measurements are taken at the widest point. Condition please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the pertaining to the condition. Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of creasing and wear, we recommend annual waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no official proof of authenticity, however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity issues arising from misattribution