Bureau Plat

From the Getty Museum record

This table is stamped for the Parisian cabinetmaker Bernard II van Risenburgh and in its size, profile, and gilt-bronze mounts resembles other works by this maker; however, its appearance has been significantly altered over time. Technical analysis revealed that the table has undergone at least three significant restoration campaigns. Some evidence suggests that major alterations were made as early as the second quarter of the 1800s. Two similar writing tables by Van Risenburgh have, respectively, floral marquetry and Japanese lacquer panels on the drawer fronts. This table may have had similar decoration originally. The current drawer fronts are certainly not original because the wood grain does not line up with the grain on the main body of the desk. If the original decoration was either floral marquetry or lacquer, the surface may have deteriorated to the point where it required replacement.