Work table/vanity in blackened wood and marquetry – Napoléon III period

Work table / dressing table in blackened wood and marquetry – Napoléon III period – 19th century. Elegant work table serving as a dressing table in blackened wood, in the Napoléon III style, richly adorned with inlays, floral marquetry, and brass or gilded bronze ornaments. The rectangular top with rounded corners features a delicate bouquet of flowers in marquetry at its centre, framed by fine golden fillets. The four corners are also decorated with floral motifs. The top lifts to reveal a compartmentalised interior in light wood, designed to hold jewellery, sewing accessories, or toiletry items. The underside of the top is fitted with an antique mirror, allowing the piece to also function as a small dressing table. The frieze presents a drawer or compartment at the front, secured with a lock, highlighted by a gilded frame. The whole rests on four tapered and fluted legs, joined by an elegant curved stretcher. This is centred with a small decorative element topped with a pine cone ornament. The legs and frieze are enhanced with rings and gilded metal fittings. A refined and highly decorative piece, characteristic of French taste in the second half of the 19th century, which can be used as a work table, jewellery table, or small dressing table. Period: second half of the 19th century. Style: Napoléon III Materials: blackened wood, marquetry, gilded bronze, mirror. Dimensions: H. 75 × W. 63 × D. 42 cm.