Semi-circular desk with kingwood marquetry for the frieze and frame. The writing surface is in leather and a moulded bronze ingot borders the upper part.
Many drawers adorn the upper part and follow the furniture’s oval shape.
This type of desk, quite rare as much for its shape as its elegance and the quality of its marquetry, showed a lot of bulging and cracks in the veneer, especially on its back part where the pronounced curve increased the risk of breakage.
The restoration work was thus that much more delicate considering the shape and the lack of necessary supports to sustain the restored veneer during the hot-melt glueing stage.
For the finish, I decided the traditional sponge varnish would best highlight the different kingwood friezes accentuated by the furniture’s original curved shape.
The leather was replaced and the bronze cleaned to bring out again the original gilding.
