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Abraham Roentgen's Writing Desk

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Art Object
Program Information

Abraham Roentgen's Writing Desk

Program information

Discover the secret compartments of this writing table and see how it can be transformed into a private altar.

Perhaps the most exquisite and technically refined piece from German cabinetmaker Abraham Roentgen (1711–1793), this desk was made for his premier patron, the Catholic official Johann Philipp von Walderdorff. Its interior holds a multitude of drawers, panels, and compartments, in addition to sophisticated mechanical fittings that safeguard the elector’s privacy.

This writing table from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, is featured in the exhibition Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens (on view October 30, 2012–January 27, 2013). Learn more about the table: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/collectie/BK-16676/bureau-op-s-vormige-poten-versierd-met-marqueterie.

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Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration
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Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation
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Good Shepherd

Date:
17th–18th century
Culture:
Indo-Portuguese (?)
Medium:
Ivory, with traces of gilt and color
Dimensions:
H. 8-7/8 in. (22.5 cm)
Classification:
Sculpture
Credit Line:
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number:
17.190.297

This artwork is not on display

120008157

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