The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Art Object

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration

The inventive talents of David Roentgen are evident in this exceptionally refined desk. The monogram "DR" inlaid beneath the keyhole on the lower drawer indicates the cabinetmaker's satisfaction with one of his most mechanically ingenuous creations: a single key inserted at different depths unlocks the center drawer, releases the rolltop, or releases the hidden side drawers; if a button is pressed on the underside of these drawers, each swings aside to reveal three other drawers. Above the rolltop, the rectangular structure consists of a single wide drawer. The artist's creativity is evident in the chinoiserie marquetry scenes, created by using minute pieces of naturally colored exotic woods that have a painterly effect.

See Collections to learn more about this desk.

This desk is featured in the exhibition Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens (on view October 30, 2012–January 27, 2013).

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

The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet
(00:02:20) 11562 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration
(00:02:17) 18147 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation
(00:01:00) 3152 views

Purse

Date:: early 17th century
Culture:: British
Medium:: Silk and metal thread on canvas
Dimensions:: L. 3 x W. 2 5/8 inches (7.6 x 6.7 cm)
Classification:: Textiles
Credit Line:: Rogers Fund, by exchange, 1929
Accession Number:: 29.23.19

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 517

Description

The elaborately embroidered purses exhibited in this case probably correspond to the sweet bags" recorded in a number of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century inventories. The purses appear to have been worn around the person and to have carried scented herbs and essences to ward off the evil smells of daily life.
Provenance

Percival D. Griffiths ; [ Frank Partridge, Inc. , 1929; sold to MMA ]
See also
What
Metal (59,497)

Costume (43,523)

Silk (33,917)

Textiles (32,866)

Needlework (10,247)

Embroidery (5,474)

Canvas (4,585)

Bags (1,169)

Purses (454)
Where
Europe (150,419)

United Kingdom (25,683)

England (9,112)

Staffordshire (4,248)
When
A.D. 1600-1800 (67,116)
In the Museum
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts (43,228)
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Great Britain and Ireland, 1600–1800 A.D.
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