Louis XVI Period Stepped Flat Desk Attributed To Canabas

Elegant and rare Louis XVI period stepped desk, attributable to Jean-Joseph Canabas. It features a central top covered in gilded leather with a small iron, flanked by two sliding side shelves also upholstered in leather. The belt opens with five symmetrically distributed drawers, and rests on four tapered legs with rudentée fluting, finished with bronze sabots. The upper part, in steps, has open compartments and two sliding mahogany curtains concealing lockers. The whole is surrounded by an openwork gallery in gilded bronze. The refined sobriety, the quality of the veneer, the taste for discreet functionality and the care of proportions allow an attribution to Jean-Joseph Canabas (1712–1797), master in 1766. His furniture, often not stamped, is recognizable by the rigor of its construction, the use of solid mahogany and a discreet elegance halfway between neoclassical austerity and discreet luxury. Paris, circa 1780 Solid and veneered mahogany, gilded bronze, leather gilded with small iron