French Regence Louis XV Carved Writing Desk or Side Table with Shell Apron and Key - 19th Century

Graceful French Régence Louis XV style writing desk, or side table, with a single dovetailed drawer and beautifully carved details. The molded top sits above a shaped apron centered by a carved scallop shell, flanked by scrolling leaves against a finely punched ground. A pierced rococo brass escutcheon frames the drawer lock, and the desk comes with its key! Slender cabriole legs are carved at the knees with shell cartouches and scrolling foliage, and finish in carved acanthus feet.

The Régence (1715-1723), when Philippe d'Orléans governed France for the young Louis XV, bridged the formal grandeur of Louis XIV and the playful curves of the rococo. The scallop shell became its signature motif, and French provincial cabinetmakers carried the style forward for generations. This desk is joined with wooden pegs, and its wood has mellowed to a warm honey patina. The French call a table like this a table à écrire, a writing table, and it was always meant to be as decorative as it is useful.

Sized for a bedroom, a guest room or a quiet corner of the living room, it works beautifully as a lady's writing desk, a side table beside a reading chair, or a petite console in an entry. The shapely legs leave plenty of room for a chair, and the drawer keeps stationery and keys close at hand. From the South of France!

KEY FEATURES

• Style / Period: In the French Régence style, with a carved shell apron and carved cabriole legs
• Wood / Materials: Believed to be walnut
• Construction: Pegged joints; single dovetailed drawer
• Hardware: Pierced rococo brass escutcheon, with its key

DETAILS

• Country: France
• Condition: Very Good
• Year: 19th Century
• Dimensions: H 27.25” x H skirt 21.5” x W 32.75” x W leg opening 28” x D 22.25”