Antique Louis Revival King Wood & Ormolu Bureau Plat Desk Writing Table 19th C

This is a gorgeous antique French Louis Revival gilt bronze mounted king wood bureau plat, Circa 1860 in date.

The rectangular top has a decorative gilt bronze border, raised corner cartouches and an inset gold tooled green leather writing surface, above three frieze drawers on one side and dummy drawers on the other.

It is freestanding, has fabulous decorative ormolu handles and mounts, working locks and keys and three capacious oak lined drawers for all your storage needs.

It is raised on elegant cabriole legs with stunning ormolu mounts and feet.

This is a truly lovely piece which will display beautifully in any interior.

Condition:

In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned, polished waxed and releathered in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 79 x Width 150 x Depth 76

Dimensions in inches:

Height 2 foot, 7 inches x Width 4 foot, 11 inches x Depth 2 foot, 6 inches

King wood

is a classic furniture wood, almost exclusively used for inlays on very fine furniture. Occasionally it is used in the solid for small items and turned work, including parts of billiard cues, e.g., those made by John Parris. It is brownish-purple with many fine darker stripes and occasional irregular swirls. Occasionally it contains pale streaks of a similar colour to sapwood.

The wood is very dense and hard and can be brought to a spectacular finish. it turns well but due to its density and hardness can be difficult to work with hand tools. It also has a tendency to blunt the tools due to its abrasive properties.

Ormolu - (from French 'or moulu', signifying ground or pounded gold) is an 18th-century English term for applying finely ground, high-carat gold in a mercury amalgam to an object of bronze.The mercury is driven off in a kiln leaving behind a gold-coloured veneer known as 'gilt bronze'.

The manufacture of true ormolu employs a process known as mercury-gilding or fire-gilding, in which a solution of nitrate of mercury is applied to a piece of copper, brass, or bronze, followed by the application of an amalgam of gold and mercury. The item was then exposed to extreme heat until the mercury burned off and the gold remained, adhered to the metal object.

Our reference: A2586