The Apollo-lyre, Zeus-thunderbolt and laurel-wreaths appear in Thomas Hope's Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, 1807, which illustrated furniture in the French-Grecian manner. In the early 19th Century, firms such as John and William McLean of Marylebone Street specialised in 'Elegant Parisian furniture' and manufactured items with brass inlay. The chimera-supported brass-inlaid lyre can be found on a suite of chairs, copied by Edwards & Roberts from an early 19th century pattern and are illustrated in F. Collard, Regency Furniture, London, 1985, p. 246

The form of this piece derives from Thomas Sheraton's design for a Lady's Cabinet Dressing Table, included in his Drawing Book, London, 1802, pl. XLIX. A related Regency bonheur-du-jour with similar superstucture was sold in these Rooms, 24 June 1976, lot 96