A one of a kind slant front desk made in the east of France, circa 1750. This is a custom ordered piece, with unique dimensions and decor which is also emblematic of the Louis XV style. Slant front desks were progressively replaced by roll-top or cylindrical secretaries shortly after the middle of the 18th century.

This is logically the work of one of the few but renowned master furniture makers working in this eastern region who were producing fine veneered pieces. Its singularity, state of conservation, and exceptional size, as well as the unique herald linking it to a particular family [Albert de la Salle, baron de Dillingen (1722-1769)] make it arguably the most significant slant front desk of eastern French origin.

As with most slant front desks, the slope of the fall front is part of the decor. All of the sides here have been finished, making this piece appropriate for use away from the wall. One also notes how the panels of the sides have been subtly but lavishly contoured.

The mercury gilded bronzes are atypical for what one usually encounters, but so is the piece itself. It is hard to determine if it is more unlikely that they are original, or if this desk was the object of an astonishingly elaborate exchange of bronzes (notably the textured filets of bronze which follow the contour of the entire piece).

Myers & Monroe, LLC