Restoration of a Restoration period (1815-1830) drop-front secretary veneered in mahogany burl and surmounted by a Carrara white marble.
The front legs are round and the rear legs are square. The frame is made of oak and softwood. There is an inventory mark (I91) inside the lower drawer on the right side.
The Restoration style?
After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo on June 18, 1815, Louis XVI's two brothers regained power. The Count of Provence initially reigned under the name of Louis XVIII (1815-1824). He was succeeded by the Count of Artois, under the name of Charles X. He ruled until 1830, when the July Revolution overthrew him in favor of a new king, Louis-Philippe I (1830-1848).
This period It was initially a reaction against the pomp and circumstance of the Empire. In furniture and decoration, it imposed an elegance and refinement that Napoleon's taste for grandeur and splendor had partly eclipsed. But under the Restoration, it was no longer the royal family or wealthy aristocrats who set the tone. Fashion now followed the needs and tastes of the new bourgeois society. This society rented apartments in Paris, some more luxurious than others, suited to family life.
The concept of comfort is influenced by a certain English way of life. Regency style furniture, particularly chests of drawers, is imported from England.
Restoration-era furniture consists of essential pieces: chests of drawers for storage, large round dining tables, flat desks or secretaries, wardrobes, and sometimes dressing tables in the bedroom. The ornamentation, light and highly refined, emphasizes the structure of the furniture. Molding, abandoned during the Empire period, reappears delicately on consoles, secretaries, tables, and imposing pieces such as bookcases.
Upon arrival at the workshop, this secretary desk had some missing veneer and some dents. Its sides were cracked and the hinges were chipped. The drop-front was split down the center and the entire structure was detached.
I re-glued the structural joints, replaced the missing veneer, and then re-glued and reinforced the cracked sides. I removed the leather to secure the gap in the drop-leaf. I readjusted and restored the drawers, the drop-leaf, and the doors.
After cleaning the secretary and stripping off the old yellowed varnish, I varnished it with a colorless pad, then I replaced the leather.
After restoration 
After restoration
To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
