Rosewood and Marquetry Writing Table

A fine Victorian kingwood and box wood strung mounted ladies writing table in the French taste, the central draw with an oval panel of semi precio...

A Regency well-figured mahogany writing table, of rectangular form with a green leather-inset top, one long and two short drawers in each frieze, set upon reeded tapering legs with t...

A fine mid-Victorian burr walnut writing table, the top finely inlaid with rushes and scrolling tendrils in the kingwood banding, with ormolu...

A Victorian birch or satinwood writing table, attributed to Holland and Sons, the leather-inset top with moulded edges above a disguised single frieze drawer, the end supports compri...

A late Regency free standing Gonzalo Alves writing table or library table, the rectangular top set above two frieze drawers on one side and dummy drawers to the reverse, raised upon ...

An unusual early 19th century brass-mounted pollard oak writing table, attributed to Gillows, the hinged rectangular leather-inset writing top with an adjustable writing slope on a r...

A George IV rosewood writing table. The rectangular tooled leather top, with a rosewood cross banded edge, and a pierced brass gallery, above two fr...

A magnificent and very rare Régence style marquetry inlaid grand bureau plat or writing desk. Inscribed to the carcass 'Moreaux 72'. Dating from the second half of the nineteenth century this magnificent and very rare bureau plat has finely cast rocaille gilt-bronze mounts and is decorated overall with truly breath-taking seventeenth century marquetry, depicting fantastical townscapes, knights, soldiers, hunting and architectural-scenes. Of serpentine rectangular form the top is veneered with superb marquetry panels within a foliate scrolled border and a rocaille shell-cast gilt-bronze surround, both sides featuring a recessed central drawer flanked on each side by a drawer applied with male and female terms, scrolled handles, and reserves with conforming drawers; the bombé sides are centred by foliate scrolls, and the whole raised on cabriole legs headed by cartouches with foliate entwined chutes terminating in scrolled sabots. Of impressive scale this fine bureau plat, in the manner of a partners desk, features working drawers to each side. This model of bureau plat was made by a small number of celebrated Parisian cabinet makers in the second half of the 19th century including Beurdeley, Cremer and Befort Jeune. It is incredibly rare to see this model of bureau plat inlaid in marquetry. The exceptional quality and style indicate the use of older reused marquetry, almost certainly dating from the late 17th century and originating from the Augsburg region of Germany. Similar models but lacking the exceptional marquetry inlay can be found in the collection of the Duke of Buccleuch at Bowhill, and the Earl of Normanton at Somerlely. Christopher Payne notes that the latter was part of a pair sold by the London dealer Toms & Luscombe in 1871. He illustrates the present bureau plat in his book ‘European Furniture of the 19th Century’ (p. 88-89), along with two related desks minus the marquetry inlay (p. 92 -93). The exceptional and highly complex marquetry inlay and intarsia work, that sets this important bureau plat apart from other extant examples, would originally have formed the decorative panels of a late 17th century table cabinet, almost certainly ascribable to the Augsburg region of Germany. Augsburg emerged from the middle of the 16th century as the German centre of luxury cabinet making for the international market. In particular, the development of marquetry contributed to this prominent position, favoured by the ready availability of indigenous woods and the reputation that Augsburg had the best craftsmen able to cut thin layers of veneers in the most intricate motifs (C.S. Wood, ‘The Perspective Treatise in Ruins: Lorenz Stöer, Geometria et perspectiva, 1567’, Studies in the History of Art, no. 59, p. 246). Table cabinets, conceived as a form of Wunderkammer or cabinets of curiosities, were intended as repositories for all manner of wondrous and exotic objects and by the 1550s the grandest cabinets in Europe were being made in Augsburg. Decorated almost entirely with sumptuous marquetry, often depicting perspective views of ruins and fantastical townscapes, they become by the 1590s highly regarded as important diplomatic gifts. Fine Augsburg marquetry panels remained popular throughout the ages and were frequently re-used to create or embellish new items of furniture, such as this magnificent bureau plat. Their inclusion was not only for their highly decorative appeal, but to contemporary eyes, a means by which to imbue a new creation with a sense of true historical authenticity. The importance of such panels is often reflected in the high cost involved in repurposing them. A fine example of this is the celebrated 17th century cabinet on stand...

The bronze-mounted rectangular top with rounded incurved corners‚ above a single frieze drawer‚ raised on a trestle base ending in downswept legs on casters joined by a turned stretcher. This very elegant table beautifully illustrates the most refined Regency furniture where rosewood is contrasted with gilt bronze. This type of furniture is traditionally associated with the celebrated cabinet maker John McLean (1770-1825) who is believed to have furnished pieces to the Prince Regent...

Early 19th century Regency rosewood writing table with later marble top.

Antique Louis XV style bureau plat writing desk, rosewood and Ormulu mounts, raised on cabriole legs. Tooled leather top. Dimensions: 43” W x 31.5” H x 25.5” D Side drawers (2): ...

A good quality Victorian rosewood and marquetry writing, having a green leather writing surface, decorated with blind and gold tooling above an arrangement of 9 drawers, each with or...