Blackened wood lady's desk adorned with Boulle-style brass marquetry decorated with acanthus, foliage, volutes and scrolls. It opens with a drawer in the waistband, a folding writing case with a top covered in gilded burgundy leather and two doors at the top revealing two shelves and two small drawers, topped by a doucine pediment, and arched legs. Mounts adorned with gilded metal foliage putti figures. The whole piece of furniture is highlighted by brass baguettes decorated with water-leaf friezes and interlacing. Late 19th-century work 146 x 75 x 51 cm (Minor accidents and a few small brass lifts)

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.