A George III parcel gilt and ebonised satinwood writing table by John McLean & Son.
Note: The table retains all the original bronze painted composition mounts. The faded red morocco leather insert is original.
The table bears John McLean’s trade paper label pasted to the underside of the writing flap, as well as an exhibition label for the 1952 Regency Exhibition at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
The cabinet-making business of John McLean occasionally labelled their pieces. Two versions of their labels are known. The earlier version, in use before 1805, states:
    Manufactured and Sold by
    J. Mc Lane & Son
    Pancrass Street, Tottenham Court 
    Road and
    58 Upper Mary-le-bone-street
    Portland Place
The second version, in use after 1805 and used on this writing table, has a different spelling of his name and a different address:
    Manufactured & Sold by
    John Mc Lean and Son,
    58, Upper Mary-le-bone-Street,
    The end of Howland-Street, Portland-Place.
The firm of John McLean specialised in making furniture in the French fashion, which was in high demand at the beginning of the 19th century. The use of very dark, almost black, rosewood with ormolu and contrasting ormolu mounts and gilded carving is typical of McLean’s output. The unusual X-end supports are of French origin. A table by Adam Weisweiler, one of the leading cabinet-makers in Paris at the time, features similar end supports as well as applied ormolu and gilded carvings.
McLean produced two variants of the current table. One version, with a sliding, reversible centre part, was designed as a games table: an example of this style, also bearing the company’s later label, is at Saltram House, Devon, England. The table shown here is an example of the other version, designed as a writing table. The McLean repertoire changed little over the years apart from a varying use of applied mounts.