Constructed after a model by Charles Cressent, in purpleheart and dressed with fine ormolu mounts and marquetry inlaid; of freestanding serpentine rectangular form, rising from foliate sabot shod cabriole legs, terminating in ormolu ‘espagnolettes’; ormolu Bacchic masks to the four sides, with an ormolu stiff leaf cast platform guard edge strip to the platform, with kingwood banding enclosing the inlaid foliate marquetry reserve; the writing surface having a tooled tan Morocco leather inset,
French, circa 1880
Pierre Kjellberg’s ‘Le Mobilier Français du 18e Sieclé’ shows a rectangular bureau plat by Cressent of very similar form, on pp227.
