This combined writing desk and dressing table (secretaire-toilette) exemplifies the skill and achievements of Parisian cabinet makers working in the period of Louis XV and Louis XVI. It is distinguished by its elegant proportions, graceful curves and for its intricate inlaid decoration and ormolu mounts.

Dual function writing desks and dressing tables were popular items of furniture among ladies of fashion who had to maintain the polite custom of writing letters as well as spending much time at their toilette preparing for an endless series of entertainments and social appearances. Such furniture nearly always incorporated drawers or interior compartments that could be secured by a lock, thus rendering it suitable for storing personal effects and, especially, private correspondence. This desk typically contains a number of drawers and compartments for storing writing materials and articles of the toilette, including an ink well, brushes perfume bottle, pomade pot and a tongue scraper.

The decorative scheme on this example, which incorporates landscapes, trophies of musical instruments and classical motifs such as a bust of a man, urns and festoons, would have appealed to educated ladies of the elite classes. It is thought that this desk may have belonged to Marie Antoinette, although there is no foundation for this claim.