This is a stunning French "Boulle" style bureau plat, or writing table. It is ebonised, decorated with exquisite ormolu mounts, breathtakingly inlaid with faux tortoiseshell and brass, has a gold tooled leather writing surface, and has three useful and capacious drawers Add a touch of unparalleled panache and style to your office or drawing room with this truly impressive bureau plat fit for a king. Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation of condition. Dimensions in cm: Height 81 x Width 163 x Depth 83 Dimensions in inches: Height 2 feet, 8 inches x Width 5 feet, 4 inches x Depth 2 feet, 9 inches Andre Charles Boulle (1642-1732), was a French cabinetmaker, who is generally considered to be the pre-eminent artisit in the field of marquetry. His fame in marquetry led to his name being given to a fashion of inlaying known as Boulle work or Buhl work. Andre Boulle was the son of Jean Boulle, a member of a family of ebenistes who had already achieved distinction. Pierre Boulle, who died c. 1636, was for many years tourneur et menuisier du roy des cabinets. André became the most famous of his family. He was the second most prominent cabinetmaker; the first was Jean Mace who has acquired individual renown. Boulle's skill and reputation must have begun at a comparatively early age; by age 30, he had already been granted one of those lodgings in the galleries of the Louvre which had been set apart by Henry IV for the use of the most talented of the artists employed by the crown. To be admitted to these galleries was not only to receive a signal mark of royal favor, but to enjoy the important privilege of freedom from the trammels of the trade guilds. Boulle was given the deceased Jean Mace's own lodging in 1672 by Louis XIV upon the recommendation of Colbert, who described him as le plus ha bile ébéniste de Paris, but in the patent conferring this privilege, he is described also as chaser, gilder and maker of marqueterie. 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: 00695a 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.