Directoire Style Fireplace Screen Called "billet Doux" With Its Blue Velvet. Nineteenth Century

Firewall known as "billet sweet" from the beginning of the 19th century. Pretty little piece of furniture in the Directoire style (1790-1799) and certainly from the restoration period (1815-1830). Quite masculine lines. Feet fitted with a spacer. It has kept its embossed blue velvet on the side of the tablet, called the “billet sweet”. It needs to be reupholstered on the other side. This pretty little piece of furniture derives from the fireplace screen. It was under Louis XVI that a tablet serving as a writing desk was added to these firewalls. You can place some accessories there, some mail accessories, an inkwell, pens and paper. Much like snack tables for snacks and late night munchies, this type of furniture was not intended to become a desk. At most, we wrote a “ticket” there. Nowadays, it mainly regains its primary function: that of a fire screen to cover an open fireplace. Furniture in its original state, to be cleaned (see photos) and reupholstered. Very elegant and decorative nonetheless. Width between the legs: 53 cm The shelf measures 15 cm wide.