Louis XVI style ormolu mounted marquetry desk by Grohé

The desk, designed in the Louis XVI Neoclassical style, was crafted by Guillaume Grohé, a leading furniture maker working in France during the 19^th Century.

The desk is raised by four tapering fluted legs, each leg terminating in a ball foot and connected by an elaborate curved X-form stretcher. The flutes of each leg are inset with ormolu foliate mounts, while the top of each leg is encompassed by an ormolu wreath. The apron of the desk is richly adorned with floral marquetry and set with superb Neoclassical ormolu mounts. The front of the apron contains three frieze drawers: a wide, shallow drawer to the centre and two flanking drawers to either side. The shaped rectangular tabletop above is encompassed by an ormolu border and topped by a red fabric writing surface, the surface bounded by green wooden beading.

The desk is stamped underside several times with ‘Grohé / Paris’.