The significance of reading and writing in 18th-century France can be seen in the costly materials used to create this writing table; imported mahogany, ebony, gilt bronze and brass. Writing tables, or desks, were designed for libraries of elite residences where several hours a day were spent on written correspondence. This desk has innovative mechanical features, including a movable book support and extendable leaf for the owner's secretary to take dictation. Its maker, Jean-Henri Riesener, was the royal cabinetmaker of Queen Marie-Antoinette of France (1755-1793). Riesner was a leader of French neoclassicism, a style which emphasized symmetrical lines and classical motifs- like laurel wreaths- popularized by archaeological excavations of Roman sites during the 18th century. Conservation Close-Up In the early 2000s, conservators treated this writing table to stabilize its mechanical elements. Although refined in engineering, the large extension leaf- incorporated into the main body of the piece- and its mechanical devices caused increased stress for the table. The central section began to settle rupturing some veneers and drawer surrounds. Furniture conservators fabricated a non-intrusive brace to correct such structural problems. Conservators also restored the briliance of the gilt bronze and brass and carefully replicated the original 18th-century tooled leather tabletop.