Mechanical Desk by Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley

This superb mechanical desk by famed French ébéniste Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley is both an artistic and engineering achievement. Enhanced with classical inlays featuring muses and putti engaged in the study of astronomy and the arts, this exquisite table features ornate cast gilt bronze embellishments. These range from the refined border along the top to the intricate acanthus mounts adorning the corners and friezes, as well as the laurel leaf designs on the legs and the ball feet's decorative caps.

With a special turn of a key, the center panel emerges from the desk's interior, revealing the table's hidden, beautifully constructed second nature. This hidden drawer is comprised of three sections, each with its own expertly inlaid surface. With a pull of a bar located underneath, these latched sections are released. The two side sections unfold outward to reveal two large storage spaces and four small drawers with gilt bronze laurel leaf pulls. The center section rises at an angle for reading or writing. Adjustment of the bar underside locks it in place, and the velvet-lined inset holds a mirror on its reverse side.

After working alongside his father for many years, Alfred Beurdeley became the successor to his family’s prosperous furniture manufacturing enterprise in 1875. The company specialized in high-quality, 18th-century revivals and his extravagant style captured the attention of wealthy Parisians eager to decorate their estates with rare and important Louis XV and Louis XIV-style furnishings. Beurdeley exhibited his works at the International Exposition of 1878, the Amsterdam Exposition of 1893, after which he was appointed Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur and the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889. Shortly after obtaining the prestigious honor of the Gold Medal in Paris, Beurdeley closed his shop in 1895, sold his famous collection, and spent the remainder of his life in seclusion. In the short span of 20 years, Beurdeley made an indelible mark on the history of 19th-century French furnishings, for his creations remain among the finest of the period.

A similar table is featured in 19th-Century European Furniture by Christopher Payne, page 54.

Circa 1870

Closed: 42 3/4” wide x 24 1/2” deep x 29 3/4” high