The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Art Object

Abraham Roentgen's Writing Desk

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.

Video/Audio (4)

David Roentgen: Long-Case Clock
(00:00:52)

The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet
(00:02:20) 10679 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration
(00:02:17) 16910 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation
(00:01:00) 3027 views

Console table

Date:: ca. 1740
Culture:: Italian, Rome
Medium:: Wood, carved and gilded with sarrancolin and vert-de-mer marble top
Dimensions:: H. 34-1/2 x W. 44 x D. 21-1/2 in. (87.6 x 111.8 x 54.6 cm)
Classification:: Woodwork
Credit Line:: Gift of Madame Lilliana Teruzzi, 1971
Accession Number:: 1971.1.7a, b

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 508

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Abraham Roentgen's Writing Desk

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Console table

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