This listing is for a gorgeous revolving bookcase by Julian Biggers. It is signed and dated in gold paint by the artisan ("JLB '19"). There is also a marking that appears to be "M.O.L" on the bottom in the same gold paint. I'm not certain what this refers to. 

Julian was a master craftsman in miniatures, and is still active in the miniature community, though he no longer makes miniatures for sale. It is rare for his work to become available, and this is a very special piece.

This beautifully crafted bookcase uses a popular design often found in English libraries and Mission Style homes: it is a revolving bookcase, allowing you to store and display books on all four sides of the case. It spins on a brass center spindle attached to four wooden feet.

Each side has two shelves and is decorated with four long slats to the right of the shelf. Each shelf has a low back slat and a low side slat, designed to hold the books securely in place.

It is made entirely of wood (I'm guessing cherry from the grain), except for the brass spindle. It is beautifully finished in a warm walnut stain.

This piece is flawlessly crafted and a perfect replica of a popular bookcase design. 

For Those Who Like To Know About The Artisan (The bulk of my information about Julian Biggers comes from his wife, Ruth,  the Reference Guide to Miniature Maker’s Marks book, and another dealer who compiled information from Biggers’ friends and associates, and from magazine articles about him. I have combined all these sources into the biography below):

Julian Biggers was an artisan who created some of the best miniature furniture ever seen, and most of the time his work is only seen in museums. Truly a master in the field of miniatures, his pieces are highly collectable and greatly sought after. What a lovely find by an extremely talented miniature furniture builder. Now retired (though still active in the miniature community), Biggers was a true master miniaturist. Julian has been making things since he was a child. He began with model airplanes, then moved on to military figures and then model ships. He discovered miniatures upon seeing Queen Mary's dollhouse during a trip to England. He made his first miniature piece (a desk) in 1981 and never looked back! Making miniatures was never a “business” to him, it was an avocation.  He joined IGMA and became a Guild Artisan in 1984, attended the Masters Class taught by Dennis Hilman at the Guild School, and became a Guild Fellow in 1987. He began teaching at the Guild School in Castine, Maine in 1988 and taught there every summer for 21 years, making friends with people from all over the world and becoming well known in the field.  As an IGMA Artisan and Fellow, Julian made some rare and sought after pieces of furniture, often creating only one of a kind. He was a marvelous miniature furniture builder in his day, and his work is amazing still. When he would see a piece in a museum, stately home, book, or magazine and liked it or is challenged by it, he figured out how to make it, and then often how to improve it. He especially enjoyed  making pieces with marquetry, parquetry, inlay or carving. He loved incorporating secret compartments in desks, cabinets, breakfronts, even card tables.  Secret compartments were common throughout history to conceal private documents and valuables, and it was rare for Julian not to have at least one in his desks, etc. He never felt bound to any one period or style but rather to the appeal and / or challenge of the individual item. He preferred working in 1" and 1/4" scales.  Most of his 1/144" room boxes, homes, and Inns are in museums, but some were sold to collectors. As his wife Ruth has said, “The miniature world has enriched both our lives with friends, travel, and experiences.” 

Approximate Dimensions:  

2¾" H x 1⅞" W x 1⅞" D