An important and rare late 18th century satinwood marquetry secrétaire à abbatant attributed to Thomas Chippendale, having a rectangular moulded top with sycamore banding above a single drawer, cross banded in tulipwood and flanked by fine oval paterae inlays, above a fall front with sycamore banding with corner roundels and oval medallion inlay centred by a classical urn with fanned border, revealing a green baize lined writing surface and a fitted interior of nine sycamore veneered drawers retaining the original ornate brass knob handles, six pigeon holes and a central recess; above a single door with matching marquetry enclosing three graduated mahogany drawers retaining the original ornate brass Dutch axe handles; on square tapering legs terminating in block toes.
Note: Letters dating from 1855 by the previous owner Captain Meade, and addressed to Earsham Hall were discovered during restoration and are being retained with the piece.
It is worth pointing out that the secrétaire fall is fitted with an ingenious lead weight counterbalance,  making opening effortless. This feature was used by Chippendale on several of his secrétaire commissions including the well documented Harewood House Lacquer secrétaire.