This is a gorgeous antique French walnut, sycamore and ebonised bureau plat in the Louis XVI manner, circa 1870 in date. The desk has a serpentine top with a striking ormolu floral and foliate edge and rococo ormolu foliate corner mounts. The inset writing surface in antiqued green leather has a lovely gold toooled border and the leather is set within broad cross banding and boxwood stringing. It features one long and two short frieze drawers, with ormolu handles and escutcheons, on one side, and faux drawers on the other. It stands on elegant cabriole legs with ormolu foliate mounts and it is beautifully finished on all sides so that it can stand freely in the middle of a room, making it extremely suitable for a large home or office. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully restored and releathered in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 76 x Width 159 x Depth 88 Dimensions in inches: Height 2 feet, 6 inches x Width 5 feet, 3 inches x Depth 2 feet, 11 inches Walnut The Walnut woods are probably the most recognisable and popular of all the exotic woods, having been used in furniture making for many centuries. Walnut veneer was highly priced and the cost would reflect the ‘fanciness’ of the veneer – the more decorative, then the more expensive and desirable. Sycamore is a broadleaf tree native tree to central, eastern and southern Europe. It was probably introduced to the UK in the Middle Ages and is now a naturalised species. Mature trees grow to 35m and can live for 400 years. Sycamore is a hard wood with a fine even grain. It is also known as Harewood and is quite rare but can be seen in late Victorian / Edwardian bedroom furniture. Ormolu from French 'or moulu', signifying ground or pounded gold) is an 18th-century English term for applying finely ground, high-carat gold in a mercury amalgam to an object of bronze.The mercury is driven off in a kiln leaving behind a gold-coloured veneer known as 'gilt bronze'. The manufacture of true ormolu employs a process known as mercury-gilding or fire-gilding, in which a solution of nitrate of mercury is applied to a piece of copper, brass, or bronze, followed by the application of an amalgam of gold and mercury. The item was then exposed to extreme heat until the mercury burned off and the gold remained, adhered to the metal object. No true ormolu was produced in France after around 1830 because legislation had outlawed the use of mercury. Therefore, other techniques were used instead but nothing surpasses the original mercury-firing ormolu method for sheer beauty and richness of colour. Electroplating is the most common modern technique. Ormolu techniques are essentially the same as those used on silver, to produce silver-gilt (also known as vermeil). Our reference: 06209 Please feel free to email or call us (+44 20 8809 9605) to arrange a viewing in our North London warehouse. Shipping: We ship worldwide and deliver to Mainland UK addresses free of charge. A shipping cost to all other destinations must be requested prior to purchase. To request a shipping quote for the items in your cart, please click HERE. Delivery and return policy: We require that someone be home on the agreed delivery day if applicable, otherwise a redelivery fee will apply. In accordance with Distance Selling Regulations, we offer a 14-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the item. The item must be returned in its original packaging and condition. Unless the item is not as described in a material way, the buyer is responsible for return shipping expenses. Buyers are fully responsible for any customs duties or local taxes that may be incurred on items sent outside of the European Union.