This piece, dated from the last quarter of the 20th Century, is a wonderful Louis XV Revival walnut and floral marquetry bureau plat desk.
This bureau plat desk is incredibly ornate and is truly fit for a Russian Imperial Palace or a French royal chateau with superb ormalu mounts and it represents superb value at only £2,250.
This writing table also known as a bureau plat desk features lovely classical inlaid floral marquetry.
It has a very attractive writing surface of gold tooled chocolate brown leather:
It also has a central drawer and two drawers on each side
Condition:
In really excellent condition.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 81 x Width 180 x Depth 83
Dimensions in inches:
Height 2 feet, 8 inches x Width 5 feet, 11 inches x Depth 2 feet, 9 inches
Viewing and Further Information
We are always delighted to arrange a viewing of this item at our North London warehouse. Please email or call (+44 20 8809 9605) for an appointment. We would also be happy to answer any questions you might have on the same number. Just quote reference number 03787.
Shipping
We are happy to pack and ship items to any destination worldwide. However, please call for a quote before buying. We ship free of charge to any mainland UK destination.
More About Bureau Plat Desks
‘Bureau Plat‘ is the French term for a writing table. What turns an ordinary table into a writing table that can act as a desk is having a series of drawers under the writing surface, originally intended to hold writing materials such as pens, ink and stationery. Antique versions sometimes have drawers fitted with compartments specifically designed to contain writing implements such as an inkwell and a blotter.
Traditionally the surface of the table is covered in something like leather or another material that is easier to write on using a fountain pen or a quill than a simple hard wood surface and this is what makes it into a bureau plat desk.
The term ‘bureau plat‘ is applied to writing tables that are done in the French style such as Art Nouveau or in a style typical of Louis XV or Louis XVI‘s era or other French style.
The writing table can also sometimes be called a library table, since they were also used to furnish home libraries. The library was traditionally the place where a gentleman not only kept his books but also transacted his day-to-day business which often involved a lot of letter writing and keeping of financial records. The term library table can be applied to a wide variety of desk forms in a fairly indiscriminate fashion.
Writing tables tend to be given other names (such as Carlton House Desk or bureau a gradin) if they feature drawers around or above the writing surface. Hence the many desk types featured on this site.
