Impressive antique writing desk, ebonized/black around 1870, Napoleon III

AN IMPRESSIVE LOUIS XV STYLE BUREAU PLAT /DESCRIPTION - AFTER THE BUREAU DU ROI AT VERSAILLES BY J.-F. OEBEN AND J.-H. RIESENER The rectangular top, with the outline of an arc-en-arbalète, is fitted with an embossed leather writing surface and is fitted with four short drawers on the moulded apron with opposing false drawers. It stands on cabriole legs fitted with oval biscuit panels on the sides representing the Three Graces and inlaid with marquetry panels depicting bouquets of ribbons, foliage and floral tendrils, shells, coral and draped pearls, all with berry and foliage tendrils of ribbons, the cabriole legs fitted with lion skin loops hanging down to form spiral patterned clogs. Footnotes The Bureau du Roi at Versailles is perhaps the most famous piece of furniture in the world and certainly one of the most luxurious furniture creations of the 18th century. Louis XV ordered this cylinder-topped desk from Jean-François Oeben (1721-1763), who had already completed the design and much of the production by the time of his early death in 1763. Jean-Henri Riesener (1734-1806), who married Oeben's widow and took over his business, completed the desk in 1769. The final price was 62,000 livres, one of the highest prices ever paid for a piece of furniture up to that time (for comparison, the average annual salary of a worker in the 18th century was almost 300 livres). The office kept Riesener busy for the rest of his career, as evidenced by his numerous invoices for polishing and cleaning the bronzes and maintaining the extremely complicated mechanisms (the cylinder apparently opened and the writing slide moved forward, all with a simple turn of a key - modified in the 19th century, no one has since been able to reconstruct the original mechanism). At the height of the revolutionary excitement, Riesener even covered the royal double-L monogram...

Louis XVI showcase Napoleon III, Paris around 1870. Fine veneer on solid oak, veneered and paneled with ebony inlays. Straight, single-door body (solid oak) with white, grey-brown veined marble top. Three-sided glazing with rounded corners. Partly cross-veneered with recessed fields of marquetry...

Impressive 20th century English style writing table, Writing table in The English style. Maple Roots with thread intarsia on solid pinewood. Partially ebonized. Strongly bowed, fou...

Black designer writing desk / bureau plat in Louis XV style Piano black polished veneer on solid softwood with rocaille applications. extremely ...

An imposing Napoleon III center table (or 'Table de Milieu') in ebonized fruit wood, rectangular in shape, with rounded sides. Its ornate top, which is bordered all around with a gilt bronze frieze and two further inner bands, features at its centre an intricate marquetry inlaid design of a foliage cartouche framing a vase of flowers. The smoothly curving belt of the table encloses a frieze drawer on one long side, with a repeat, inlaid design that echoes that of the top. The table rests on four turned, tapered and fluted legs, ending in toupie feet, and these are connected by two half-moon spacers...

Gorgeous Antique Desk, Writing, French Napoleon III Period, Burlwood, Leather Lining, 1800s, 19th Century! French Napoleon III period writing desk, mid to late 19th c., superstructure with two drawers, over shaped drop-front writing surface, opening to leather lining, with two additional drawers, lower case fitted with single frieze drawer, on cabriole legs, approx 42"h, 31.5"w, 20.5"d Wear and imperfections commensurate with being moved, age and use. 212t20 The top priority of Napoleon III style furniture was comfort. However, the furniture remained highly decorative. This attention to form, as well as function, can be seen in intricately upholstered chairs...

A fine Antique French Bronze mounted writing table with particularly fine form dating to the late 19th Century. The table features all over Bronze mounts including Caryatid figures o...

Beautiful rectangular 1920 Napoleon III writing desk, walnut structure, walnut, leather top with gold workings and brass fixtures. measure cm...