A French Louis XVI style amboyna writing table, with inset…
click the photo to enlarge
A French Louis XVI style amboyna writing table, with inset tooled leather top above a drawer and kneehole flanked by pairs of drawers with ormolu ringed handles on square tapering legs terminating in ormolu caps. 76 cm high, 140 cm wide, 75 cm deep

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Amboyna - Amboyna is a tree native to Indonesia (named after the Indonesian island of Ambon) and South East Asia, and when harvested the timber has a fragrant rose-like scent, and is of a rich brown colour, usually harvested from the burl of the tree with "birds-eye" markings . In furniture is is usually veneered and used for decorative effects on top quality pieces.
  • Gold Tooled - Gold tooling on leather inlays in desks and other furniture and leather book bindings refers to the decorative process of embossing the leather with a design using gold leaf. The design is first traced onto the leather and then incised into the surface using a small blade. The incisions are then gilded with thin sheets of gold leaf. The gold leaf is burnished into the leather to create a raised, metallic design. The process is repeated until the entire design is covered in gold.
  • Kneehole - A recessed section, mainly found on Georgian desks and dressing tables, which does not go through the full depth of the item, and usually terminates in a cupboard at the back.
  • Blind Tooling / Blind Tooled - Blind tooling is a technique used in the decoration of leather goods such as book covers, belts, and wallets. It involves the use of specialized tools to impress designs and patterns onto the surface of the leather without the use of added colour.

    The process involves the use of a variety of tools, including stamps, embossing tools, and finishing tools, which are used to create various textures and patterns on the leather surface. The tools are heated, and then pressed onto the leather, leaving an impression. The tools can be used to create designs that are simple or complex, with a variety of textures and patterns, including geometric shapes, florals, or scenes. The leather is then burnished to enhance the design and give it a smooth finish.
  • Tooled - Decoration of a leather surface, usually by stamping the surface with a heated punch or wheel containing foliate or geometric designs. In blind tooling the surface of the punch or wheel is in direct contact with the leather, while in gold tooling, a ribbon of gold leaf is placed between the punch or wheel and the leather, and once they have been applied, the excess gold is brushed off, leaving only the design.
  • Ormolu - Ormolu was popular with French craftsmen in the 18th and 19th century for ornamental fittings for furniture, clocks and other decorative items. True ormolu is gilt bronze, that is bronze that has been coated with gold using a mercury amalgam. Due to the health risks associated with using mercury, this method of creating ormolu was discontinued in France in the 1830s. A substitute was developed consisting of about 75% copper and 25% zinc, however it was inferior to the bronze version. It was often lacquered to prevent it tarnishing.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

A French 19th century rosewood tall chest, with a rouge marble top above seven drawers flanked by satinwood canted corners. 136 cm high, 94 cm wide, 36 cm deep

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A 1960s ten-drawer Filing cabinet, lock & key in tact, in good original & working condition, 130 x 33 x 42 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

Victorian mahogany miniature chest, of rectangular shape with six long drawers, lockable side panel, height 52 cm. Provenance: The Estate of the late Janis Salisbury, Sydney

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

Pair of Bachelor Chests. Circa 1965 manufactured by Parker furniture, of light wood, each with four long drawers, makers decal on back

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.