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ID #SA1181310
FOR SALE
£1,950
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French Napoleon III Ebonised & Gilt Bronze Writing Desk Bonheur-du-jour 1880
Canonbury Antiques
for sale €2,282     $2,477
£1,950
Canonbury Antiques

Canonbury Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Apr 2021
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French Napoleon III Ebonised & Gilt Bronze Writing Desk Bonheur-du-jour 1880

19th century
Description

Stunning ebonized Napoleon III writing desk or bonheur du jour

Circa 1880

Very on trend with lacquered finish and gilt accents

A superb 19th-century French Napoleon III writing desk, richly decorated in ebonised wood with gilt bronze (ormolu) mounts and intricate trellis-pattern inlay

This elegant bonheur-du-jour form features a raised superstructure with two small drawers flanking a central compartment, all surmounted by a pierced gilt gallery

The desk front is beautifully arranged with shaped panels of lattice inlay framed in ormolu, each centred with finely cast gilt bronze mounts including mascarons, ribboned cartouches, and rosettes The writing surface retains its original tooled leather inset, now wonderfully aged to a warm patinated tone

Bought from a dealer on Marche de Biron at Paris antiques markets

Raised on four turned and fluted legs with gilt accents, the whole piece shows the stylistic refinement typical of Second Empire France: symmetrical, luxurious, and heavily influenced by Louis XVI neoclassicism interpreted through a mid-19th-century lens

Offered in great shape ready for home use right away

We ship to every corner of the planet - including the USA - please get in touch for a shipping quote

Dimensions:

Width x Depth x Height

31cm (12.2") x 19cm (7.5") x 37cm (14.6")

Knee height: 24cm (9.4")

Physical Dimensions
Height
37cm (14.57")
Width
31cm (12.20")
Depth
19cm (7.48")
Declaration

Canonbury Antiques has dated this Napoleon III Writing Desk to the 1880s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1181310
Description
Stunning ebonized Napoleon III writing desk or bonheur du jour

Circa 1880

Very on trend with lacquered finish and gilt accents

“
A superb 19th-century French Napoleon III writing desk, richly decorated in ebonised wood with gilt bronze (ormolu) mounts and intricate trellis-pattern inlay.
Canonbury Antiques
fig 1. A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery.
fig 1. French Napoleon III Ebonised & Gilt Bronze Writing Desk Bonheur-du-jour 1880

This elegant bonheur-du-jour form features a raised superstructure with two small drawers flanking a central compartment, all surmounted by a pierced gilt gallery

The desk front is beautifully arranged with shaped panels of lattice inlay framed in ormolu, each centred with finely cast gilt bronze mounts including mascarons, ribboned cartouches, and rosettes The writing surface retains its original tooled leather inset, now wonderfully aged to a warm patinated tone

fig 2. A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery.
fig 2. French Napoleon III Ebonised & Gilt Bronze Writing Desk Bonheur-du-jour 1880

Bought from a dealer on Marche de Biron at Paris antiques markets

Raised on four turned and fluted legs with gilt accents, the whole piece shows the stylistic refinement typical of Second Empire France: symmetrical, luxurious, and heavily influenced by Louis XVI neoclassicism interpreted through a mid-19th-century lens

fig 3. A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery.
fig 3. French Napoleon III Ebonised & Gilt Bronze Writing Desk Bonheur-du-jour 1880

Offered in great shape ready for home use right away

We ship to every corner of the planet - including the USA - please get in touch for a shipping quote

Dimensions:

Width x Depth x Height

31cm (12.2") x 19cm (7.5") x 37cm (14.6")

Knee height: 24cm (9.4")

Height
37cm (14.57")
Width
31cm (12.20")
Depth
19cm (7.48")
Date of Manufacture

Canonbury Antiques has dated this Napoleon III Writing Desk to the 1880s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1181310
Canonbury Antiques
Canonbury Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Apr 2021

London UK antiques & decorative arts - ships globally

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Canonbury Antiques Profile Page

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A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery.
1 / 17
Archive I A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery.

French Napoleon III Ebonised & Gilt Bronze Writing Desk Bonheur-du-jour 1880

Archive II A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View II
Archive III A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View III
Archive IV A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View IV
Archive V A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View V
Archive VI A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View VI
Archive VII A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View VII
Archive VIII A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View VIII
Archive IX A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View IX
Archive X A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View X
Archive XI A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View XI
Archive XII A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View XII
Archive XIII A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View XIII
Archive XIV A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View XIV
Archive XV A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View XV
Archive XVI A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View XVI
Archive XVII A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery. View XVII
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Canonbury Antiques

Canonbury Antiques
Telephone 01707 644877
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Hertfordshire
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/canonbury
Verified Since Apr 2021
Items For Sale 274
Items Sold 482
Canonbury Antiques
Canonbury Antiques
Verified Since Apr 2021
View Dealer Info
Location: Potters Bar , Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/canonbury
Verified
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A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery.
French Napoleon III Ebonised & Gilt Bronze Writing Desk Bonheur-du-Jour 1880
Ref: SA1181310
A French Napoleon III ebonised writing desk featuring gilt bronze mounts, brass inlay panels, turned legs, and a raised top superstructure with a brass gallery.
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FAQs

A bonheur-du-jour is a specialized form of ladies writing desk created in eighteenth-century France and popularized throughout the Second Empire Napoleon III era. It is characterized by a flat writing table base topped with a raised rear superstructure containing small drawers, cabinets, or shelves.

Furniture from the Napoleon III period frequently utilizes ebonised hardwoods, fruitwoods, brass, mother-of-pearl, and tortoiseshell marquetry. Decorative accents usually feature gilt bronze (ormolu) mounts, cast brass galleries, and gold-tooled leather writing surfaces.

Authentic nineteenth-century pieces display hand-cut dovetail joints on drawer linings, heavy cast gilt bronze hardware attached with historical thread screws, and period-correct wear on structural feet and writing surfaces. Ebonised finishes from this era show subtle surface craquelure under close inspection.

An ebonised bonheur-du-jour serves as a focal contrast piece against contemporary neutral plaster or dark painted walls. Styling it with minimal modern accessories, modern framed artwork above, or setting it in a dressing room creates a refined balance between historical and contemporary aesthetics.

Maintain the ebonised finish by dusting regularly with a dry, soft microfibre cloth and applying a neutral microcrystalline wax sparingly once a year. Avoid chemical metal polishes on gilt bronze mounts, as abrasive cleaners remove the original gold plating and damage surrounding wood finishes.
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