An exceptional Louis XVI period bureau à cylindre, or cylinder desk with bookcase, giving you a glimpse of the beauty of fine 18th century French furniture. The desk exhibits an exceptional blend of restrained, neoclassical elements and is formed of the finest bookmatched walnut. Its craftsmanship is of a very high quality, comparable to the work of the best French cabinet makers of the period. The upper cabinet with original glazed glass doors and two adjustable interior shelves sits atop three drawers with ormolu keyhole escutcheons. The cylinder enclosing with ormolu keyhole escutcheon and pulls, opens to an arrangement of several open and secret compartments and drawers and a substantial gilt tooled leather pull out writing surface. Below is a kneehole drawer with ormolu keyhole escutcheon flanked by two drawers on the left that lock and a single drawer on the right faced as two drawers to match the left side, containing a coffre fort or safe, the right side with another writing slide. The desk is raised on four square tapering legs ending in ormolu sabots. All original working locks and keys.

Dimensions: 

 h - 81.5" 

 w - 52"; 69.5" with right slide opened

 d - 27"; 38.5" with writing surface pulled out