Desk

Wooden desk with mother-of-pearl inlay and metal hardware. Slant top desk with modified block front frame and central kneehole raised on cabriole legs with casters. One wide rectangular drawer with elaborate metal pulls flanked by carved scrolled acanthus leaves below sloped front, with carved scrolled shell motif in center. Two smaller similarly carved shells at proper right and left corners of kneehole. One small rectangular drawer with elaborate metal drawer pulls on each side of kneehole. Sloped front with inlaid decoration in diamond-shaped floral pattern in center with rectangular border of floral and leaf motifs. Top corners of border inlaid with grotesque bearded masks, bottom corners inlaid with single daisy-like flower. Decorative metal escutcheon at top center of sloped front. Interior with large central arcaded compartment, flanked by single narrow vertical drawer with centered round drawer pull, followed by pair of arcaded pigeonholes above two stacked rectangular drawers with centered round drawer pulls. Top of desk with brass gallery, scrolled at each end, with short balusters. Cabriole legs carved with single large acanthus leaf on stippled ground at corner blocks, tapering to ball-and-claw feet. Spiral molding along bottom of frame on front and outer sides. Retractable fall-front supports at either side of long rectangular top drawer.CONDITION: Good. Later revarnishing.