Secrétaire à abattant

Delicate desks like this model ornamented a room and provided their owners with a place to write and lock up their private letters and documents. The front of this piece opens to reveal a velvet-lined writing surface and several drawers and cubbyholes.Creating this kind of writing desk involved many people. First, the marchand-mercier (art dealer) commissioned the furniture’s design and ordered the porcelain plaques. Craftsmen at the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory created, painted and gilded these plaques. An ébéniste (furniture maker) made the wooden parts, leaving space for the plaques. A variety of craftsmen designed and made the gilt bronze decorative pieces that attach to the wood, while another specialized worker lined the drawers with silk or velvet. A locksmith had to fit doors and drawers with keyholes and locks. Finally, the ébéniste assembled the desk and returned it to the dealer to sell.