c.1895, both desks having a pierced brass gallery to the top, below a pair of doors finely inlaid with neoclassical flowering urns, the doors enclosing lateral and vertical pigeon holes, the back of the doors fitted with letter storage compartments, a bank of four drawers in the center with inlaid garlands, the base of the desk having a fold-out writing surface inset with tooled and gilded leather, below a single drawer inlaid with garlands, the desk raised on tapering legs joined by a curved stretcher; provenance: purchased at Paul Reeves, London, England