Bureau à cylindre Directoire • Ébénisterie Mathieu Vath

Restoration of a late 18th-century Directoire roll-top desk veneered in mahogany burl on all four sides. It bears the mark CD or GD, a mark unknown to me. Any information regarding it would be greatly appreciated!

Built entirely of oak (not a single piece of poplar, even for the drawer pulls or panels), the upper part opens with a cylinder revealing four small drawers surmounted by a niche as well as a sliding writing tablet covered in gilt leather with small tools and two side drawer pulls also covered in the same leather.

The lower section features a classic composition of a drawer in the frieze, framed on the right by a cabinet simulating two drawers, and two drawers on the left. The cylinder is surmounted by a stepped shelf with three drawers.

The body is supported by four tapered feet interrupted by a fine semi-circular molding and ending in a gilded sabot.

It is topped with a black marble from Mazy.

Of note is the double-furred, diamond-shaped keyhole, typical of the late 18th century, as well as the swan-neck shaped drop-front handles, a sign of high quality, along with all the cabinetmaking. There is no doubt that behind this GD or CD stamp lies a great cabinetmaker.

This secretary desk was in fairly good condition before its restoration, with some missing mahogany moldings, small chips in the veneer, some structural separation, and cracks, but nothing serious. In reality, the difficulty of the work stemmed from the size of the piece (its weight) and the surface area that needed revarnishing.

The restoration therefore consisted of reattaching the detached structural elements, recreating the missing mahogany moldings and the few veneer grafts. Then, all the moving parts were adjusted and restored to good working order.