French Empire Ebonized Desk

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Desk from France in the French Empire style and made of solid mahogany construction. This piece features four column legs … Read more Desk from France in the French Empire style and made of solid mahogany construction. This piece features four column legs that are enhanced with finely cast bronzes. Five dovetailed drawers with original bronze pulls adorn the front. The spectacular writing desk is topped with a gilt embossed tan Moroccan leather writing surface. This piece has been ebonized and finished with a lustrous French polish of museum quality. The table is in very nice antique condition – the photos accurately depict the condition.

After many years of political instability, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor of France in 1804 and began the Empire period. As the Empire period began, the economy was booming and there was a strong desire for fine furniture and decoration from the new bourgeois aristocracy. The Empire style drew most of its inspiration from the Classical world, especially the Roman Empire and often incorporated large architectural elements such as columns and pilasters. Ancient Egypt also started to be an influence after a French military campaign there awakened new fascination for this civilization. The characteristic furniture types were imposing: their flat surfaces and sharp corners, together with their lack of moldings, produced an effect of grandeur that was not without beauty. Antique forms and ornament, already seen in the Louis XVI style, blended with Napoleon’s imperial symbols for a strong impression. See less