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Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

LOUIS XV STYLE

The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.

Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.

Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.

During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.

Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.

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Style: Louis XV
Period: 18th Century and Earlier
Lacquered and Veneered Bureau de Dame, 18th to 19th C.
Located in Atlanta, GA
Petite in stature with three slides over two drawers. Probably originally had a superstructure because there are visible patches where something would have been attached. It might al...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Hardwood

Louis XV Leather Top Cocobola Wood Writing Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Rare and remarkable Louis XV style ladies writing desk handcrafted in exotic cocobola wood with a leather top on a one drawer case over elegant cabriole legs with ormolu front feet.
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18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Cocobolo

18th Century Walnut Writing Table
Located in Bradenton, FL
A Queen Anne era Walnut writing table, with bordered edge and book matched burl walnut veneer with mixed wood inlays to the top with rounded corners to the front, shaped inlay apron,...
Category

Mid-18th Century Unknown Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

18th-C. French Louis XV Style Carved Oak Tooled Leather & Bronze Writing Desk
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a special piece! It is a late 18th century carved oak and gilt bronze writing desk. It has two drawers and two identical faux drawers. Each foot is capped in bronze. The felt...
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Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Regence Ebonized And Ormolu Mounted Bureau Plat
Located in Essex, MA
With a rectangular top with inset black tooled leather surrounded by a brass inlaid ebonized border with brass edge. The frieze with three drawers with cast bronze handles and three ...
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1730s French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

18th Century Poudreuse and Ladies Desk - Table d'Accouchée, France, circa 1760
Located in Greven, DE
18th Century Coiffeuse and reading table - so-called Table d'Accouchée France Rosewood around 1760 Dimensions: H x W x D: 72 x 63 x 39 cm Description: Rare, two-part and multifunctional little table with neatly arranged grain patterns in light rosewood...
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1760s French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Kingwood, Rosewood

A very fine and rare 18th desk by Important Parisian ebeniste Pierre Migeon
Located in Dallas, TX
A very fine and rare 18th century Secretaire desk by Pierre Migeon Sr. . A family of Important Parisian ebenistes in the early to mid 18th century . Three generations of very fine c...
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Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Porcelain, Mahogany, Walnut

French 18th Century Poplar & Oak Writing Table Louis XV Period
Located in Labrit, Landes
Writing table or desk made of poplar in the french 18th century, Louis XV period. Height between the roof and the belt 20.87 in. (53 cm). Totally authentic, this piece of furniture w...
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18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak, Poplar

18th Century, French Louis XV Wood Flap Writing Desk
Located in IT
18th Century, Franch Louis XV Wood Flap Writing Desk Measures: cm H 94 x W 83,5 x D 46; D with the open panel 82 cm, H of the desk top 69,5 cm This elegant desk was made in France ...
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Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

18th Century Louis XV Walnut Table or Ladies Desk
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
This antique French Louis XV side table, or ladies desk, is a real 18th century gem. Crafted from walnut, and opening with a single apron drawer, it would make a fabulous end table, ...
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18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

French Bureau Plat Marquetry Leather Top Desk with Orig. Ormolu Mounts, C. 1770
Located in Hollywood, SC
French bureau plat marquetry leather top three drawer desk with hearing bone inlays, three opposite side faux drawers, original floral ormolu mounts, brass escutcheons, brass knobs, ...
Category

1770s French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Ormolu

18th Century French Louis XV Desk or Writing Table
Located in Winter Park, FL
A late 18th century French Louis XV style small lady's desk with hinged drop down leather top writing surface. Made of walnut and in two parts with small top cabinet with one interio...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Louis XV Ormolu Writing Table Desk, 18th C
Located in New York, NY
Louis XV ormolu-mounted kingwood-veneered writing table, 18th c and later, apparently unsigned, with shaped rectangular top with tooled leather inset and giltmetal molded border abov...
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18th Century Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Kingwood

A fine 18th century Regence kingwood and gilt bronze mounted Louis XV desk
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine Regence period 18th c leather top bureau plat. Kingwood with fine gilt bronze mounts. Black gold tooled leather top . Drawers on one side and faux drawers on the opposite side.
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

18th Century French Louis XV Walnut Desk Secretary from Provence
Located in Dallas, TX
Carved in southern France, circa 1760, the fold out secretary is both stylish and functional; the elegant writing desk crafted from solid walnut, stands on cabriole legs over a scalloped apron and dressed with bombe drawer across the front embellished with the original patinated bronze handles. The top folds down to reveal a large writing surface, a theater with four smaller drawers on the sides, and a double compartment niche in the center. When sliding out the drawers and niche, the cabinet reveals different secret storage compartments underneath (see pictures). Both sides with scalloped apron are decorated with recessed panels. Flaunting beautiful lines, a rich patina, and complete functionality, this "Secretaire a Abattant" is in excellent condition and includes all the original keys; put a sophisticated spin on your study or bedroom with this antique slant front desk commode, or "commode scriban...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

French Louis XV Style Diminutive Kingwood Writing Table by J. Lapie
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Christies label- London, 1994. A finely made French 18th c. writing table with ormolu mounts and beautiful variegated marble top. The three fine drawers with shaped front inlays and ...
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18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Marble, Bronze

18th Century French Hand Carved Walnut Writing Table with Two Drawers Louis XV
Located in Sofia, BG
18th century French hand carved walnut writing table with two side drawers resting on curved decorated legs. The table is in it authentic condition with no restorations made. The con...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

French Louis XV Period 1750s Walnut Desk with Leather Top and Cabriole Legs
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XV period walnut desk circa 1750 with leather top, single drawer, cabriole legs and hoof feet. Immerse yourself in the world of French aristocracy with this exquisite ...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut, Leather

18th Century Louis XV French Provençal Side Table
Located in Winter Park, FL
A late 18th century French Louis XV side table from Normandy, made of solid cherry. Rare, elegant serpentine form with shaped top, thick scalloped apron and cabriole legs. Dovetailed...
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Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

18th Century, Louis XV Provencal Center Table
Located in Winter Park, FL
An 18th century French Louis XV table from Provence. Made of solid walnut with deep hand-carved apron and thick cabriole legs. Two dovetailed dr...
Category

18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

18th Century French Cherrywood 'Bureau de Pente' Slant Top Writing Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
Larger than the typical Louis XV writing desk, this cherrywood bureau de pente was hand-carved in France during the late 1700’s, just after the period ended. This type of desk went by several names, including bureau dos d’âne and secrétaire à dessus brisé, and they almost always featured a fold-down writing surface. Four long, slender cabriole legs, which are typical of Louis XV writing desks, provide a sturdy base for the beautiful desk. The curvaceousness of the legs continues throughout the desk, from the subtly contoured sides to the highly sinuous apron on all sides. Set within the apron are two drawers with round bronze pulls that flank a faux center drawer with a foliate and shell handle. The fold-down writing surface, which has a functioning lock with a foliate escutcheon, opens to reveal eight small arbalete drawers arranged in four columns. Above the topmost drawers of each column is an open storage compartment. There are two more larger storage compartments in the center above a false-bottom hidden compartment. The fold down writing surface is held by a set of polished steel arms. A graceful and functional bureau de pente from the late 18th century, this cherrywood slant top writing desk...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

18th Century French Louis XV Period Walnut Chateau Bonheur Du Jour or Secretary
Located in Birmingham, AL
A rare 18th century French Louis XV period chateau bonheur du jour or secrétaire handcrafted of walnut by very talented artisans in Lyon for a wealthy chateau owner near Villeurbanne, circa 1750s. This impressive antique French secretary features a chapeau de gendarme crown above a pair of carved serpentine doors with brass mesh grilles and beautiful green and gold damask fabric backings that open to reveal a painted interior with two display shelves. Three carved drawers are below. The lower section features a flat serpentine shaped writing surface that lifts opens to reveal plenty of storage above a carved, scalloped apron with C-scrolls and a center carved shell motif. Raised on four elegant cabriole legs ending in scrolled French toes. This grand Lyonnaise French library desk...
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1750s French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

18th Century Louis XV Provincial Writing / Occasional Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Louis XV provincial walnut writing / occasional table, 18th century. With an overhanging 3 board top with molded borders, frieze with drawer and scalloped apron, resting on cabriole ...
Category

18th Century European Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Louis XV Tuscany Walnut Veneered Writing Table
Located in Firenze, FI
Elegant writing table in walnut veenered poplar. Top centered by a star motif, a comfortable drawer in the band, curved legs typical of mid-18th century Tuscan manufacture.
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Poplar, Walnut

18th century Louis XV ITALIAN Writing Table with Drawers
Located in Firenze, FI
Elegant desk perfect for the center of the room, with drawers in solid walnut and walnut feather veneer on the sides, interiors in poplar. The drawers are all equipped with locks. Tu...
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Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

French Louis XV Walnut 1-Drawer Table, circa 1765
Located in Atlanta, GA
A delicately carved walnut writing table with a single drawer on the side of the apron and a raised gallery around three sides for the original purpose of writing. Raised on four tap...
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Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

18th Century French Marquetry Louis XV Dressing Table or So-Called Coiffeuse
Located in Berlin, DE
18th century French Louis XV marquetry dressing table or so-called Coiffeuse 18th century Louis XV vanity dressing table or coiffeuse...
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Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Elegant French Louis XV Period Secretary Writing Desk with Hidden Compartment
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XV period Rococo secretary with hidden compartment, circa 1760. This antique French writing desk features a slant-leaf front...
Category

Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

French 18th Century Louis XV Period Bureau Plat
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A magnificent and very high quality French 18th century Louis XV period Tulipwood, Kingwood, and ormolu Bureau Plat desk. The desk is raised by elegant cabriole leg with exquisite pierced fitted ormolu sabots with fine foliate designs and hoof feet below a delicate ormolu chute leading upwards to impressive richly chased ormolu masks of handsome bearded men. The apron displays three drawers separated by impressive curved foliate gadroon designs each displaying superb quarter veneered Kingwood...
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18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

Huge Gilded Ebonized Period French Louis XV Marble Top Butlers Desk Commode
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
For customers that require professional insured delivery we are proud to have teamed up with a nationwide professional delivery company that will assist with coordinating your delivery needs! They offer a reasonable flat-rate fee for delivery and set up to the ground floor of your home. They deliver to the vast majority of the lower 48 states. They offer a flat rate for most of our items with exclusions for the largest or most complex items such as breakfronts or crystal chandeliers or other items of greater complexity. For those items please ask for a shipping quote prior to purchase as these rates are different from our stated pricing. For those items please ask for a shipping quote prior to purchase. Most deliveries to the East Coast will be 295.00, to the mid-west and Southern mid-west 395.00. To the areas west of Kansas 495.00 and the farthest points to the West coast will be 595.00. Again, some areas we can't cover, however we can deliver to most of the lower 48 states so please inquire to be sure! Delivery times range from as fast as 1-4 weeks for the east coast to 5-9 weeks to the farthest areas of the west coast, sometimes longer and sometimes even shorter. If it is a time sensitive purchase, we may be able to accommodate you for a higher price. It is our goal to please each and every one of our customers with the highest standard of service possible. You must realize and accept that we are shipping antique, vintage and quality used furnishings to your home. We cannot control traffic, weather, and acts of God. There will be times when additional patience will be necessary. Please see video below. This is a very rare, monumental butlers desk or large scale commode in solid oak with incredible hand polished and hand-hewn quarried marble. The piece has been painstakingly gilded and ebonized in a French-polished shellac finish and has a red interior. The piece features two side doors which at one time had adjustable shelves. Take a look at the incredible chunky antique locks...
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1770s French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Console Table, XVIII Century, France
Located in Girona, Spain
Console table, Made with cherry wood. Lacquered in black. Central drawer, with brass handle. Carved hoof legs. Very decorative. XVIII Century, Fra...
Category

18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Cherry, Lacquer

18th Century French Walnut Library Table
Located in High Point, NC
18th century walnut library table from France. The top is made from two planks and is banded with a beveled edge, following down to a simple apron, which contains a single drawer in the front. The table is supported on hand turned barley and vine twist...
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18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Side Table or Writing Table from the XVIII Century in Walnut
Located in Brussels, Brussels
lovely side table or small writing table from the 18th century Louis XV in walnut Very nice little table which has a drawer in the belt and a beautiful walnut table top with a sup...
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18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Italian Mid 18th Century Louis XV Period Center Table/Desk circa 1740
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A spectacular and very high quality Italian mid 18th century Louis XV period Walnut, Rosewood, Charmwood and bone center table/desk circa 1740. This table from the Piedmont region is...
Category

18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bone, Rosewood, Walnut

French 18th Century Louis XV Period Kingwood, Tulipwood and Ormolu Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A most elegant and extremely high quality French 18th century Louis XV period Kingwood, Tulipwood, and ormolu desk circa. 1750. The Bureau à Cylindre desk...
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18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

French 18th Century Louis XV Period Kingwood And Tulipwood Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A sensational and elegant French 18th century Louis XV period kingwood and tulipwood inlaid desk, with all of its original ormolu and hardware. The desk is raised by slender cabriole...
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18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

18th Century French Louis XV Carved Serpentine Cherry Desk with Parquetry Top
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant antique partner desk was created in the Poitou region of France, circa 1790. Made of wild cherry timber, the large writing table stand...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Majestic French Bureau Plat Desk antique According to Andre C. Boulle bronzed
Located in Berlin, DE
Root veneer on solid beech and oak. Extremely finely chiselled bronze. Slightly protruding, profiled tabletop and gold-imprinted leather insert, flanked by a grotesque mask on each c...
Category

18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

18th Century Louis XV Wood French Writing Table
Located in IT
The very unusual and particular center desk, called also bureau plat, was made in France, at Paris, in the 18th century, Louis XV period. It has a refined veneer in wood and a slidin...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

French Louis XV Late 18th Century Cherry Table with Drawer from the Rhône Valley
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XV cherry table from the Rhône Valley, with long drawer and cabriole legs. Born in France in the later years of the 18th century, this cherry table features a rectangu...
Category

18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Cherry

18th Century Veneered and Inlaid Wood Italian Louis XV Writing Desk
Located in IT
The elegant antique north Italian (Genoa) Louis XV period writing desk, called also bureau plat, is made of veneered and inlaid woods. It have a beautiful wavy line with slender but ...
Category

Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

18th Century French Louis XV Transition Marquetry Gilt Bronze Desk Bureau Plat
Located in Berlin, DE
18th Century French Louis XV Transition Marquetry Gilt Bronze Desk Bureau Plat An 18th century gilt-bronze mounted double-face desk or bureau plat with herring-bone marquetry. The k...
Category

18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

18th Century Italian Louis XV Writing Table Inlaid Rosewood Center Desk
Located in Milan, IT
Elegant 18th century Italian rosewood center table from Tuscany, Italy, a rectangular shaped Louis XV veneered desk with one small drawer on the front, raised by elegant à cabriole legs with superlative and contrasting ebony and box wood inlaid profiles, ending with curled feet. This antique Italian table...
Category

Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Boxwood, Ebony, Rosewood

French Louis XV Period Tric Trac or Backgammon Table Stamped P. Roussel
Located in Pembroke, MA
French Louis XV period (18th century) "Tric Trac" or Backgammon table stamped by the maker, "P. Roussel," and the guild "JME" (Jurande des Menuisiers et Ebenistes --translated as the...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Small Louis XV Side Table - France, 18th Century
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Charming carved table on cabriole legs, with central drawer.
Category

18th Century and Earlier French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

18th Century Louis XV Bureau Plat
Located in Belmont, MA
Louis XV bureau plat, France, 18th-19th century. The bureau plat is decorated with beautiful rosewood veneer and the original bronze fittings. The wri...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Rosewood

French 1790s Louis XV Style Walnut and Elm Writing Table with Single Drawer
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XV style walnut and elm writing table from the late 18th century, with single drawer and cabriole legs. Born in France during the later years of the 18th century, this...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Elm, Walnut

Majestic French Bureau Plat Desk According to Andre C. Boulle
Located in Berlin, DE
Root veneer on solid beech and oak. Extremely finely chiselled bronze. Three-wheeled frame base with wide knee-section on four cabriole legs with forward looking, imposing Espagnolet...
Category

18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

18th Century Louis XV Baroque Walnut Fall Front Desk/Secretaire
Located in Darmstadt, DE
The desk is from the time around 1730 and covered with a beautiful marquetry of different walnut / walnut root wood on a pine body. All three locks are original from that time as wel...
Category

Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut, Pine

18th Century Louis XV Marquetry Ladies' Desk Manner of J.C. Ellaume
Located in Berlin, DE
18th Century Louis XV Marquetry Ladies' Desk Manner of J.C. Ellaume A mid-18th century ladies' desk or so-called "bureau de pente", its shaped fall-front opening to reveal a red lea...
Category

1750s French Antique Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Louis Xv desks and writing tables for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Louis XV desks and writing tables for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage desks and writing tables created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include tables, case pieces and storage cabinets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Louis XV desks and writing tables made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original desks and writing tables, popular names associated with this style include François Linke, Baker Furniture Company, Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley, and L. Cueunieres Ebeniste.. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for desks and writing tables differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $486 and tops out at $1,000,000 while the average work can sell for $6,433.

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