19th Century French Louis XV Style Bureau Plat “À Têtes De Guerriers Antiques”

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Modeled after the original period Louis XV bureau plat by Charles Cressent (circa 1740), this amazing French desk would be … Read more Modeled after the original period Louis XV bureau plat by Charles Cressent (circa 1740), this amazing French desk would be the focal point for any home office or executive business suite. In the 1800s, when ours was crafted, premier Parisian cabinetmakers revived interest in the Cressent desk; there is even a version that French Presidents have used (see last detail photo for President Macron at le bureau du président de la république).

The top of the shapely desk is mostly covered with black leather that is adorned with a subtle foliate embossing along the edges. Two-toned mahogany veneer encircles the leather and continues on all sides of the desk, forming a beautiful marquetry of asymmetrical shapes. A thick molding of bronze dore completes the edges of the top, interrupted in each corner by a leafy cartouche. Each of the four leaves align above a thick cabriole leg with beveled edges, with the beveling continuing on the sinuous aprons beneath the top. Curvaceous bronze dore moldings, embellished with pierced C-scrolls and leafy tendrils, surround the marquetry panels, mirroring the form of the lighter-hued wood.

On the short sides of the desk, a large ovate cartouche can be seen, consisting of curled leaves and C-scrolls emanating from a scalloped shell. In the center of the cartouche is a mascaron emerging from an undulating leaf cup. The longer sides of the desk have identical bronze motifs, but one side contains three functioning and lockable drawers, with the center compartment slightly recessed from the outer two. Perhaps the most impressive bronze mounts are the têtes de guerriers antiques, or ancient warrior heads, that grace the top of each leg. These leg guardians are one of Cressent’s most famous creations, as he also used them on his cabinet de médailles, which is currently displayed in the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon.

Charles Cressent (born 1685) was the grandson of a furniture-maker/sculptor (also named Charles), while his father, Francois, was the sculpteur du roi of Louis XIV. The younger Charles worked for Philippe d’Orleans, the future Regent of France for Louis XV, and Philippe’s son, Louis, the Duke of Chartres. Cressent was considered a master-level furniture-maker, sculptor, and fondeur-ciseleur, having trained under André-Charles Boulle. His pieces are in museums and private collections worldwide. See less