An antique 19th century French Napoleon III Bonheur du jour, or type of lady's writing desk. It is ornately designed with emboyna and ebony and decorated with Sevres style porcelain. Its architectural galleried upper section has a central mirrored niche flanked by Corinthian columns. The upper section also has a pair of cupboard doors decorated with a ribbon-tied porcelain plaque with painted depictions of Marie Antoinette and Mme Elisabeth in their centers. Cupboards open to a single shelf, and a leather writing surface sits over a rectangular case. Below are smaller drawers decorated with a porcelain-inset guilloche frieze. This frieze has a larger porcelain inset in its center front. Below these smaller drawers in the lower section are two large shelves framed by tapering fluted legs. The columnar legs have a porcelain plaque in their middle. The shelves have a mirrored back and shaped under tier with four short feet.
Dimensions:
Overall – 53” L x 22” D x 62” H with open writing drawer - 37” D
Top shelve (of the bottom portion) opening – 52” L x 9” D x 9” H
Bottom shelve (of the bottom portion) opening – 52” L x 16” D x 10” H
Writing drawer top -24” W x 13” D
Each top portion – left and right shelving is 13 ½” W x 10 ½” D, middle shelving 18 ½” W x 12” D
Center mirrored niche – 17”L x 9” D x 24”H
