A Napoleon III ebonised, gilt-metal-mounted and inlaid secretaire bookcase, veneered in contre-partie, brass inlaid with a marquetry of scarlet tortoiseshell in designs of scrolling foliage with palmettes heightened in stained ivory, the upper part with an egg-and-dart moulded arched cornice, fitted with adjustable shelves and enclosed by a pair of shaped arched panel doors, flanked by stiles headed with herms, the lower part with a fall centred by a Bacchanalian figure mask and enclosing a tooled leather-lined interior with drawers, enclosed by a pair of panelled doors below on bracket feet -- 40in. (102cm.) wide, 19in. (49cm.) deep, 91in. (321cm.) high.