North America, Mexico, ca. 19th century CE. A beautiful dark wooden portable writing desk with an aubergine-colored velvet lined interior and inlaid mother of pearl on the surface forming an intricate floral motif. The inlaid mother of pearl is incised to give the flowers, vines, and leaves more realism. Open the chest to discover the velvet lined writing surface; this can be lifted either up or down to reveal storage compartments with painted sides. At the lower front of the interior are several narrow compartments, two square-shaped and containing glass ink jars, with the central one longer to hold pens. Functional and beautiful! Size: 10" L x 14.8" W x 5.25" H (25.4 cm x 37.6 cm x 13.3 cm)

Provenance: ex-private Moore collection, Denver, Colorado, USA, acquired prior to 1990

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#149175

Rich patina on surface. One fissure across the lid from weathering that does not impact the stability of the piece. Some small components in the interior are loose. Wear on surface commensurate with age including tiny scratches, chips, and nicks, especially around the lock.