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The Roentgens' Dressing Table (Poudreuse)

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Art Object
Program Information

The Roentgens' Dressing Table (Poudreuse)

Program information

See how this desk converts into a dressing table.

When closed, this table may not seem like one of the most complex pieces of European furniture ever made. However, once opened, its concealed drawers and hidden features are exposed, and the entire piece transforms into a dressing table, orpoudreuse. Scholars believe it was commissioned as a wedding gift from Abraham (1711–1793) and David Roentgen (1743–1807) by Friedrich August III, Elector of Saxony, to his bride in 1769.

This table, from Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, is featured in the exhibition Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens (on view October 30, 2012–January 27, 2013).

Images courtesy of Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt.

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Date:
mid-16th century
Culture:
Southern German
Medium:
Boxwood and walnut
Dimensions:
Diam. 1-7/8 to 2 in. (4.8 to 5.1 cm)
Classification:
Sculpture
Credit Line:
Gift of Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, 1930
Accession Number:
30.135.16

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 520

120011567

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