Writing Table (bureau plat)

Craftsmen of the 1700s used the highly adaptable material of gilt bronze in numerous ways, as decorative mounts for furniture, clocks, ceramics, and light fittings. On this large desk, the elaborate gilt-bronze mounts form the main decoration. Gilt bronze frames the drawer fronts with rich sprays and floral clusters, while shell-like corner mounts taper down the legs into leafy scrolling feet. Shells and vines even decorate the lock plate.It is possible that this table was a gift sent by Louis XV of France to Empress Elizabeth of Russia in 1745. By the early 1900s it stood in the Chinese Palace at Oranienbaum near Saint Petersburg, Russia.