18th Century Louis XVI Writing Table, Italy

Details

Description

Dressing Table / Writing Table with Drawers - Northern Italy, late 18th century, ca. 1780-1790

A charming dressing table or … Read more Dressing Table / Writing Table with Drawers - Northern Italy, late 18th century, ca. 1780-1790

A charming dressing table or small writing table, entirely veneered and inlaid with walnut, walnut burr, and rosewood.

Frame and Veneer:
Rectangular folding top with a central compartment in open-spotted walnut burr, arranged in a diamond shape, surrounded by a double boxwood border and a walnut herringbone border. The front panel is decorated with a large geometric compartment with light-colored borders and an inlay of opposing diamonds. The sides are veneered and bordered.

Under the panel are two small, opposing side drawers with a small turned wooden knob, also veneered and bordered. The tall, slender, tapered, truncated pyramid legs are typical of neoclassical style.

The back is shaped like a wavy apron, indicating its freestanding position, yet still finished in walnut.

Interior:
Opening the top reveals an internal compartment with three compartments. Original iron hinges.

Period and style:
Full Neoclassical period, Louis XVI. A model of great elegance and linearity, attributable to the Lombardy region. The clean lines, the use of burl veneer, and the inverted pyramid legs are all distinctive elements of fine cabinetmaking from the last quarter of the 18th century.

Materials: Solid Italian walnut and veneer, walnut burl veneer, boxwood and rosewood inlays.

Condition: Good overall condition. Original patina. Polished with shellac.

Dimensions: 0.84 x 45 cm, height 75 cm. See less