Restoration of a cylinder desk Directory Dating from the late 18th century, veneered with mahogany burl on all four sides. It bears the mark CD or GD, which is unknown to me. Any information regarding it would be greatly appreciated!
The cabinet is entirely constructed of oak, without a single piece of poplar, not even for the drawer pulls or panels. At the top, a cylinder reveals four small drawers surmounted by a niche. It also conceals a sliding writing surface and two side pull-outs, all trimmed in gilt leather tooled in small pieces.
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 rests on 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.
Note: the key shaft has a double-furring, diamond-shaped design, typical of the late 18th century. The swan-neck drop-front handles, like all the cabinetmaking, are a mark of high quality. There is no doubt that behind this GD or CD stamp lies a great cabinetmaker.
This desk was in fairly good condition before its restoration: some missing mahogany moldings, small chips in the veneer, some structural separation, and cracks, but nothing serious. The difficulty actually stemmed from the size of the piece, its weight, and the surface area to be refinished.
The restoration therefore consisted of reattaching the detached structural elements, recreating the missing mahogany moldings, and applying some veneer grafts. We then adjusted and restored all the moving parts.
The bulk of the work then consisted of revarnishing the piece of furniture using a pad.
To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
