Louis XVI mahogany, satinwood, ebony and ormolu table à écrire

Crafted in the manner of Jean-Henri Riesener, a famous and highly regarded ébéniste in the Louis XVI period in eighteenth century France, this beautiful writing desk was made by Donald Ross, an excellent maker in Victorian England, active in the late nineteenth century.

The rectangular top is mounted with a moulded ormolu edge, and is inset with a finely gilt tooled leather surface, that is in turn set within a lattice veneered border. The upper surface sits atop two frieze drawers, which are also decorated with a conforming parquetry lattice and dot decoration which bear again the original gilt-bronze elements.

The desk is divided by a central ormolu appliqué - other works by Ross often feature porcelain plaques here - which depicts pair of love birds, flanked on either side by acanthus paterae. The desk stands upon square tapered legs with ormolu angles and square sabots. A beautiful piece, this desk is a fine chance to combine functionality with great style and antique grandeur.