Collection record · Objects & craft
Ladies Writing Desk
The collection record classifies this work as furniture and woodwork. It is dated c. 1750–75. Recorded culture or place: Possibly Northern Italy, near France.
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Ladies Writing Desk
- Date
- c. 1750–75
- Culture / origin
- Possibly Northern Italy, near France
- Materials and technique
- Oak with straw marquetry
- Dimensions
- Overall: 97.2 x 76.2 x 44.5 cm (38 1/4 x 30 x 17 1/2 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 1942.40
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
As early as the beginning of the 17th century, straw marquetry was being produced throughout Europe. Along with cabinetmakers and specialized artisans, creators of straw marquetry included home artisans, nuns, monks, and noble dilettantes. Thus the quality and design of objects using straw marquetry is quite diverse. While some pieces appear nearly naive, others are made very masterfully, such as with this ladies writing desk. Some of these objects were even presented in royal cabinets of wonder. Because of its silky gloss and bright colors, straw marquetry was held in great esteem as unusual and remarkable decoration for furniture and other objects on par with gemstones, tortoiseshell, or ivory.
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Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Gift of Grace Rainey Rogers in memory of her father, William J. Rainey · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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