Writing Table In Fruitwood And Boxwood.

This Louis XIV-period table rests on turned boxwood legs and features a drawer at the front; the tabletop is made of fruitwood, and the drawer is fitted with an attractive wrought-iron drop handle. The use of boxwood for the legs and the H-shaped stretcher is extremely rare. Its warm, light-toned, and appealing wood was clearly selected with great care, which has allowed the table to age well and survive to the present day in an excellent state of preservation. In the past, boxwood was primarily used for crafting small precision objects, musical instruments, tools, and minor hardware components for furniture. Because the shrub grows extremely slowly, its trunk rarely exceeds 10 centimeters in diameter, which precluded its use for constructing large pieces of solid-wood furniture. On the other hand, its exceptional density and fine grain made it the preferred material for woodturners, makers of small decorative objects, and sculptors. Dating to the late 17th or early 18th century. Tabletop dimensions: 91 cm x 58 cm; height: 76 cm.