How do I care for a marquetry desk?

Keep wooden writing furniture away from direct sunlight and steady heat sources to protect the delicate veneer from drying and cracking over time. Regular gentle dusting with a dry cloth maintains the polished finish without harming the fine wood inlays. Avoid using harsh chemical polishes or excessive moisture on antique surfaces. Natural beeswax applied sparingly helps nourish older woods and preserves the sheen of the marquetry panels.

Were these desks used for writing?

Most pieces served as functional writing furniture for households, providing designated spaces for correspondence, accounts, and reading. Many incorporate fitted interiors with small drawers and pigeonholes for stationery storage. Some refined forms, such as the bonheur-du-jour or lady's writing desk, were designed specifically for light correspondence in drawing rooms, balancing decorative elegance with practical utility.

How can I tell the period of a desk?

Dating relies on observing the combination of structural timbers, veneer choices, and stylistic revival influences. Eighteenth-century and early nineteenth-century pieces often display richer walnut or mahogany carcases with hand-cut floral marquetry, while Edwardian versions frequently utilise lighter satinwood and rosewood. Construction methods inside the drawers and cabinet backs also help determine age. Machine-cut dovetails typically point towards later nineteenth or twentieth-century production, whereas hand-cut joints indicate earlier craftsmanship.

What is the difference between marquetry and parquetry?

Marquetry involves arranging varied veneers to form pictorial, floral, or curvilinear scenes across a surface. Artisans use this technique to create elaborate botanical displays and decorative motifs on desk lids and drawer fronts. Parquetry uses geometric pieces of wood to create repeating patterns such as cubes, chequers, or basket-weave designs. While both methods decorate the exterior of fine tables, marquetry focuses on illustrative forms.

Home > Antiques For Sale > Inlaid Marquetry Desk > Page 3

Inlaid Marquetry Desk

455 items · page 3 of 29

← Page 3 of 29 →

An inlaid marquetry desk brings patterned floral and figurative woods into a room, offering a surface for correspondence that carries centuries of cabinet-making skill.

19th century

Save

19th Century Inlaid Satinwood Table

From Camden Antiques

£775

FOR SALE

tables

19th century

Save

Elegant 19th Century Italian Marquetry Bureau Desk

From Richie Perrott Antiques

£995

FOR SALE

bureau

A Fine Quality Sheraton Revival Inlaid Desk by Edwards & Roberts

19th century

Save

A Fine Quality Sheraton Revival Inlaid Desk by Edwards & Roberts

From John Hubbard Antiques

£3,750

FOR SALE

desks

18th century

Save

18th Century Marquetry Inlaid Mahogany Writing Desk

From LTANTIQUES.CO.UK

£1,250

FOR SALE

desks

Lovely Quality Antique Victorian Walnut Tunbridge Ware Inlaid Writing Slope

19th century

Save

Lovely Quality Antique Victorian Walnut Tunbridge Ware Inlaid Writing Slope

From Unique Antiques by Emma Jade

£425

FOR SALE

boxes

18th century

Save

Outstanding Quality 18th Century Antique Dutch Marquetry Inlaid Burr Walnut Bureau Bookcase

From London City Antiques

£29,500

FOR SALE

bureau

19th century

Save

Superb 19th Century French Kingwood Writing Desk C.1890-1900, Serpentine, Marquetry Inlaid.

From Charnwood Antiques

£3,850

FOR SALE

tables

Antique Louis XV Quality French Rosewood Marquetry Inlaid Freestanding Centre Table

19th century

Save

Antique Louis XV Quality French Rosewood Marquetry Inlaid Freestanding Centre Table

From London City Antiques

£2,150

FOR SALE

tables

French Antique Centre Table Louis XV Marquetry Inlay Desk 1860

19th century

Save

French Antique Centre Table Louis XV Marquetry Inlay Desk 1860

From Canonbury Antiques

£2,800

FOR SALE

tables

Outstanding Quality Antique Victorian Inlaid Mahogany Freestanding Desk

19th century

Save

Outstanding Quality Antique Victorian Inlaid Mahogany Freestanding Desk

From London City Antiques

£3,450

FOR SALE

bureau

Listings feature eighteenth-century walnut bureau bookcases alongside nineteenth-century French ormolu-mounted centre tables and Edwardian satinwood writing desks.

1900 - 1920

Save

Edwardian, Fall Front Bureau Circa 1910

From Frank Craig Antiques

£1,800

FOR SALE

bureau

19th century

Save

19th Century French Parquetry Writing Desk

From Camden Antiques

£1,895

FOR SALE

desks

Quality Antique Victorian Freestanding Inlaid Burr Walnut Kidney Shaped Writing Table

19th century

Save

Quality Antique Victorian Freestanding Inlaid Burr Walnut Kidney Shaped Writing Table

From London City Antiques

£2,950

FOR SALE

desks

19th century

Save

A Dutch Ebonised Marquetry Bone Inlay Table 19th Century

From Junk Antiques & Interiors

£2,950

FOR SALE

tables

18th century

Save

Antique 18th Century Quality Mahogany Floral Marquetry Inlaid Cylinder Bureau

From London City Antiques

£8,450

FOR SALE

bureau

1900 - 1920

Save

Unusual Antique Burr Walnut Marquetry Inlaid Bureau

From London City Antiques

£1,385

FOR SALE

bureau

← 1 2 3 4 5 ... 29 →

Inlaid Marquetry Desk

19th Century Inlaid Satinwood Table

Elegant 19th Century Italian Marquetry Bureau Desk

A Fine Quality Sheraton Revival Inlaid Desk by Edwards & Roberts

18th Century Marquetry Inlaid Mahogany Writing Desk

Lovely Quality Antique Victorian Walnut Tunbridge Ware Inlaid Writing Slope

Outstanding Quality 18th Century Antique Dutch Marquetry Inlaid Burr Walnut Bureau Bookcase

Superb 19th Century French Kingwood Writing Desk C.1890-1900, Serpentine, Marquetry Inlaid.

Antique Louis XV Quality French Rosewood Marquetry Inlaid Freestanding Centre Table

French Antique Centre Table Louis XV Marquetry Inlay Desk 1860

Outstanding Quality Antique Victorian Inlaid Mahogany Freestanding Desk

Edwardian, Fall Front Bureau Circa 1910

19th Century French Parquetry Writing Desk

Quality Antique Victorian Freestanding Inlaid Burr Walnut Kidney Shaped Writing Table

A Dutch Ebonised Marquetry Bone Inlay Table 19th Century

Antique 18th Century Quality Mahogany Floral Marquetry Inlaid Cylinder Bureau

Unusual Antique Burr Walnut Marquetry Inlaid Bureau

Add keywords to the filter

Price

Era

Period

Style

Material

Origin

Stock Location

Recently Added

Online Payments

Categories