Carved Anglo-indian Writing Desk

This elegant 19th-century Anglo-Indian writing desk is crafted from sandalwood, a beautiful, dense, reddish-brown wood highly prized by cabinetmakers in China and throughout Southeast Asia for its hardness and fine grain.
This desk exemplifies its value, with deeply carved yet exquisitely detailed hand-carved details.
On the two sections of the closed lid, one first notices an interlacing of delicate flowers and foliage, but upon closer inspection, one also discovers animals skillfully scattered across the surface—birds and allegorical quadrupeds.
Each of these finely chiseled scenes is framed by a different marquetry design.
Opening the two-part lid reveals a lower tray covered in tan leather, serving as a writing surface, a large "secret" compartment with an easily removable lid, a smaller pen compartment, and a second tray, also covered in leather.
The tan leather, which was missing at the time of purchase, was applied in our workshop.
The key is present and the lock is functional. While numerous sandalwood boxes from this period exist, writing cases are much rarer.
The aesthetic appeal of this object lies in its dynamic nature. Depending on whether you leave it closed or open one or two sections of the lid, you will obtain a very different effect in terms of size and color.
It will find its place in various locations in your home, not necessarily limited to an office setting.