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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.

David Roentgen: Long-Case Clock

David Roentgen: Long-Case Clock
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The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet

The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet
(00:02:20) 10613 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration
(00:02:17) 16640 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation
(00:01:00) 3015 views

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Seated Chinese

Factory: possibly Mennecy 

Factory:
Factory: possibly Sceaux
Date:
ca. 1755–65, mounts 1745–49
Culture:
French (Mennecy or Sceaux) (?)
Medium:
Soft-paste porcelain, gilt bronze
Dimensions:
H. 7 5/16 in. (18.6 cm.)
Classification:
Ceramics
Credit Line:
The Jack and Belle Linsky Collection, 1982
Accession Number:
1982.60.264

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 543

120023277

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