The Wallace Collection French 18th-Century Furniture

The Wallace Collection posted a wonderful video about their French 18th-century furniture. It is full of ingenious mechanisms and secret compartments.



Come and see these fascinating mechanisms !

Open Furniture Month: Writing in the French Eighteenth Century

Friday 29th January, 2016 - Monday 29th February, 2016

Price: Admission Free

Open Furniture Month is a unique opportunity to look inside some of our most important pieces of furniture, including works by Jean-Henri Riesener, Jean-François Oeben and Jean-François Leleu. This year's theme explores the significance of writing in eighteenth century France, and how the popularity of this fashionable activity influenced the production of furniture. Come and discover the colourful interiors, secret compartments and ingenious mechanisms of our remarkable desks and secretaires.
http://www.wallacecollection.org/collections/exhibition/119
https://www.facebook.com/wallacecollection/videos/10153599878226865/?fref=nf

Thank you for this beautifull subject

A voir sur la page FB de la Wallace Collection

Currently open for Open ‪Furniture‬ Month, this roll-top desk was made by Jean-Henri Riesener, c. 1785, Marie Antoinette’s favourite cabinet-maker.
Roll-top desks were designed to ensure maximum privacy, as the owner could cover and lock the whole working space.
This desk has a sophisticated locking mechanism: both the roll-top and the drawers can be locked with one turn of the key. A writing-surface can be pulled out and raised from the top of the desk allowing writing or reading when standing up. Furthermore, the desk is equipped with inkwell compartments and candelabra on either side, providing light for the owner to work at the desk in the evenings.
The desk has been simply decorated in a way that maximizes the impact of the spectacular mahogany veneer. A plain veneer finish was popular at the end of the ‪‎C18th‬ and was inspired by the fashion for mahogany furniture in Britain.

On comprendra mieux avec les photos