Antique Louis Revival Writing Table Desk Bureau Plat c.1920
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This elegant and impressive walnut antique bureau plat with ormolu mounts has been crafted in the French Louis Revival style and dates from the early 20th Century around 1920.
The writing surface is worthy of particular attention being made from burgundy leather which has been beautifully inset with striking gold tooling and a wonderful ebonised border together with an ormolu mounted perimeter.
Being fully adorned with decorative ormolu handles and mounts, this antique bureau plat benefits from three frieze drawers on one size and together with three ‘dummy’ drawers on the other which means that this item of furniture can be placed anywhere in a room, not necessarily against a wall. It can therefore be freestanding in the middle of a room and look great from any direction.
The high quality and intricate marquetry of this Louis revival style piece is created with skillfully inlaid satinwood. The bureau plat has an abundance of ormolu mount decoration which makes it appear especially sumptuous. The antique bureau plat is mounted onto cabriole legs which are finished with ormolu sabot feet.
More about the materials - Ormolu
Ormolu is an 18th Century English term for a process that was used for producing a form of ‘gilt bronze’. The process involved applying finely ground high-carat gold in a mercury amalgam to a bronze object. When the object was subsequently fired in a kiln this process evaporated the mercury leaving a gold-coloured veneer with an extremely attractive finish. This was, however, a dangerous process with mercury being highly toxic and due to health concerns mercury is now no longer used in this process which has largely been replaced by more modern electroplating techniques instead.
Condition
This antique bureau plat is offered for sale in excellent condition having been extensively refurbished in our own workshops by our own craftsmen. This includes having the leather relined. Please take a good look at the photos to satisfy yourself as to the condition of this piece which can also be viewed at our London showroom.
Will it Fit?
The dimensions of this Louis revival style antique bureau plat are as follows:
Dimensions in cm: Height 78cm x Width 183cm x Depth 89cm or, if you prefer;
Dimensions in inches: Height 2 feet, 7 inches x Width 6 feet, 0 inches x Depth 2 feet, 11 inches.
More Information and To View
You are very welcome to email us or call us using the contact details shown above with any questions you might have about this antique bureau plat. We would also be delighted to arrange a viewing of this Louis revival writing table at our North London warehouse, just email or call for an appointment quoting our reference as shown above so we know which antique writing table you are referring to.
The showroom is open from 10am to 5pm every weekday and on occasional Saturdays - please call first before making a journey on a Saturday.
Shipping, Delivery and Return
This is a very fine Louis revival bureau plat and as such it requires careful packing and shipping. We can ship to any destination worldwide and our specialist team will take care of the packing for you, but please do call or email for a quotation before purchasing the item so that we can fully discuss your requirements. We ship to any mainland UK address free of charge.
If you are not satisfied with the item we offer a 14-day money back guarantee in accordance with the Distance Selling Regulations. You will be responsible for the return shipping fees for this antique bureau plat, unless we have erroneously described the item in some material way and you do not receive what you were expecting. You must return the item in its original packaging and condition.
You are also responsible for any customs duties or local taxes that fall due outside the European Union.
Angelica Kauffman, RA (1741 - 1807)
was a Swiss-born Austrian Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Though born as "Kauffmann", Kauffman is the preferred spelling of her name in English; it is the form she herself used most in signing her correspondence, documents and paintings.
While Kauffman produced many types of art, she identified herself primarily as a history painter, an unusual designation for a woman artist in the 18th century. History painting, was considered the most elite and lucrative category in academic painting during this time period. Under the direction of Sir Joshua Reynolds, the Royal Academy made a strong effort to promote history painting to a native audience who were more interested in commissioning and buying portraits and landscapes.
Despite the popularity that Kauffman enjoyed in British society and her success as an artist, she was disappointed by the relative apathy that the British had towards history painting. Ultimately she left Britain for the continent, where history painting was better established, held in higher esteem and patronized.
The works of Angelica Kauffman have retained their reputation. By 1911, rooms decorated with her work were still to be seen in various quarters. At Hampton Court was a portrait of the duchess of Brunswick; in the National Portrait Gallery, a self-portrait. There were other pictures by her at Paris, at Dresden, in the Hermitage at St Petersburg, in the Alte Pinakothek atMunich, in Kadriorg Palace, Tallinn (Estonia).
Satinwood
is a hard and durable wood with a satinlike sheen, much used in cabinetmaking, especially in marquetry. It comes from two tropical trees of the family Rutaceae (rue family). East Indian or Ceylon satinwood is the yellowish or dark-brown heartwood of Chloroxylon swietenia.
The lustrous, fine-grained, usually figured wood is used for furniture, cabinetwork, veneers, and backs of brushes. West Indian satinwood, sometimes called yellow wood, is considered superior. It is the golden yellow, lustrous, even-grained wood found in the Florida Keys and the West Indies.
It has long been valued for furniture. It is also used for musical instruments, veneers, and other purposes. Satinwood is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Rutaceae.
Our reference: 07618
