What is a bureau plat?

A bureau plat is a freestanding writing table featuring drawers within the frieze and a finished back, allowing it to sit in the centre of a room. These tables provide a generous writing surface, often lined with leather, supported by four cabriole legs.

How do I identify Louis XV style?

Louis XV style furniture relies on asymmetrical curves, floral marquetry, and sweeping cabriole legs that avoid straight lines. Ormolu mounts frequently accent the knees and feet, echoing the rococo aesthetic popular during revival periods.

Where were these desks placed?

These desks served as writing and correspondence tables in private sitting rooms, salons, and home libraries. Freestanding models sat away from walls to display finished backs and decorative parquetry.

What woods are common?

Makers utilised kingwood, rosewood, walnut, and mahogany as primary structural and decorative timbers for these pieces. Satinwood and amboyna also appear in veneers, contrasted with gilt bronze ormolu mounts.