Object Description
Louis XV Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Walnut and Bois Satiné Parquetry Writing Desk (‘Bureau en Rognon’)
By Maison Millet, Paris, France, circa 1900
Signed “MILLET A PARIS”
A fine Louis XV style kidney-shaped writing desk by Maison Millet, featuring a curved cartonnier with five drawers around a central pigeonhole, surmounted by a gilt-bronze cherub holding a sword and seated on a lion-pelt. The integral clock with Roman numerals strikes hours and half-hours, flanked by scrolled foliate candelabra held by cherubs. A pull-out leather writing surface sits above three frieze drawers, while the convex-shaped back and sides are veneered in trellis parquetry and accented with gilt-bronze mounts. Cabriole legs are finished with busts.
This bureau en rognon exemplifies Millet’s fin-de-siècle craftsmanship, combining neo-Rococo design with delicate proportions suited to modern interiors. Particularly notable are the figural gilt-bronze mounts, including the cherub above the clock, attributed stylistically to Léon Messagé. The present example is distinguished by its cherub-supported candelabra, a feature absent in lesser versions.