Decorative arts
Writing Table
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Molitor based the decorative scheme of this desk’s marquetry on Japanese sources. The large marine shell partly revealed by a half-opened box in the central inlay is based on representations of Japanese boxes where the half-opened lid is a typical feature. Small, delicate desks like this were typically made for the use of women, who were beginning to engage in new forms of writing, such as the composition of memoires and letters, in the 18th century.
