French 19th Century Barley-Twist Fold-Down Desk

A handsome, impressive carved mahogany desk with gem-cut decorations and fitted birds-eye maple interiors and original black leather writing surface. A very interesting key unlocks the top part of this fine desk, folding down to an interior fitted with 9 storage areas. The top of the desk slides forward reveling the writing surface which is pulled out and then dropped down for a very functional and useable writing surface. Below the writing surface are three large drawers (one is a faux front, one large drawer with a hidden locked compartment) The whole sits on impressively carved barley twist legs. 1840’s