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).

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Panel

Date:: last quarter 17th century
Culture:: British
Medium:: Silk and wool on canvas and silk
Dimensions:: Overall: 40 1/2 x 94 1/2 in. (102.9 x 240 cm) with fringe Overall: 36 1/8 x 87 1/4 in. (91.8 x 221.6 cm) without fringe
Classification:: Textiles
Credit Line:: Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Accession Number:: 64.101.1347

This artwork is not on display

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Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration

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