Writing table, with near-matching pair. Rectangular, with tapering legs and gilt-brass mounts. French (Paris), c. 1780, stamped by George Jansen (master 1767), Jacques Laurent Cosson (master 1765) and Daniel de Loose (master 1767)

Carcase of oak and softwood. The drawers are of walnut with oak fronts. The case veneered with holly, sycamore, barberry, tulipwood, pearwood, white beam, walnut, purplewood, olive, boxwood, ivory and mother-of-pearl. Gilt-brass mounts. The underside of the front rail is stamped twice, at the right side: 'J.L. COSSON' and 'JME'. The underside of the back rail is stamped, towards the centre: 'G. JANSEN JME' and 'D. DE LOOSE JME'.

The desk is rectangular with four tapering legs that end in brass feet. A brass gallery runs around the three outer edges of the table top. Beneath the top is a sliding shelf for writing, covered in dark pink velvet with silver braid for edging. There is a lockable drawer on either side of the table.

The whole top is decorated with a marquetry design in which is represented, against an architectural background, a man offering a basket of flowers to a woman on the right and a seated woman taking flowers from a basket on the left. The stand is decorated with scrolling foliage and pateras.

Bequeathed by John Jones

This table and its near-matching pair (1039A-1882) were formerly in the collection of the military tailor John Jones. Mr Jones bequeathed a large collection of furniture, paintings, ceramics, metalwork, glass and books to the V&A in 1882. Before his death, the collection was kept in his London house at 95 Piccadilly. Mr Jones also owned an 18th-century embroidery stand (converted in the 19th-century to a writing stand) with a marquetry panel of very similar design to this table's top. The stand (1042-1882) is also stamped by Georg Jansen.

In 18th-century France small writing tables such as this would have been personal furniture, owned and used by a particular individual. They almost always had lockable drawers in which writing equipment could be kept. Small writing tables were kept in bedrooms and sitting rooms, ideally placed near a fireplace or window. As they were small, light objects, they could be moved easily around the room depending on the time of day or the way the room was being used.

This is one of two near-matching tables that were given to the V&A in 1882 by the military tailor John Jones. Jones had a very large and important collection of 18th-century French furniture which he kept in his London house at 95 Piccadilly. The collection was carefully arranged throughout the house, with related objects grouped together. In addition to the two tables, Mr Jones also owned an embroidery stand (Museum number: 1042-1882) decorated with a very similar marquetry scene.

1039A/1 to 3-1882