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Rare neoclassical mahogany secrétaire-cabinet by David Roentgen. The desk has a pull-out writing surface behind the two long top mock drawers. The mahogany interior contains nine drawers of various sizes. The concave long drawer below the writing section, simulating a kneehole, is spring-loaded and is activated by a trigger concealed behind the cupboard door. Inside the cupboard there are sliding locking devices that secure each pair of the three stacked small drawers that flank the cupboard allowing all drawers to be secured with the single door key. The corners are set with quarter-round brass columns. The desk rests on four square section brass inlaid legs. [The pull-out slide on the proper outside left of the piece is a replacement. There are filled holes on the concave drawer where later handles were removed.] A nearly identical cabinet by Roentgen, but with a normal drawer instead of the “knee-hole” concave drawer is illustrated in:  Hans Huth:  Roentgen Furniture; Nº 189  Greber: Möbel für Europa; Vol II, Figs. 535, 536  Büttner and Weber-Woelk: David Roentgen Möbelkunst und Marketing im 18. Jahrhundert; page108
Height (ins.): 43 (109 cm.)      Length/Width (ins.): 37 (61 cm.)      Depth (ins.): 24 (61 cm.)
Origin: Neuwied, 1780     Period: Neo-Classical