Desks have kept secrets for centuries, but few have done so quite as well as this piece by C. Meillier & Co. Constructed of mahogany in the French Rococo style with ormolu mounts, its simulated drawer fronts pull out and hinge to reveal four and six hidden drawers, respectively. One cannot help but wonder what sensitive documents this desk may have once contained. Visually striking and technically appealing, this piece is a master work from a company known for innovative craftsmanship.

70" w x 35 ¼" d x 29 ¼" h

Circa 1880

The Anglo-French firm of C. Meillier & Co. advertised themselves as "specialists in the rich decorative styles of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries," however this was not t