This piece of furniture perfectly displays the Edwardian appreciation of quality craftsmanship and materials.
The form of this lady's bureau is unusual in that it has an upper structure in the form of a display cabinet, with a morror back and two drawers behind a central door and bevelled glass.
The writing surface is accessed by opening the drawer underneath it, which, by way of an internal mechanism, raises the roll top, releasing the slope trapped below. It is beautifully decorated in delicate marquetry, with its original penwork, all on "fiddle-back" mahogany, crossbanded in satinwood. English, C.1890.