This brass-inlaid lady's writing-table with a moveable book-tray, is embellished with ormolu mounts, comprising a nymph-mask in the 'antique' manner, and a ribbon-guilloche brass gallery with a carrying-handle supported by vase-capped columnettes, belongs to a group of 'Elegant Parisian Furniture' advertised in 1806 by the cabinet-maker John McLean (d.c.1815) as being on display at his Warerooms in Upper Marylebone Street. McLean's work was commended in Thomas Sheraton's Cabinet Dictionary, 1803, which illustrated a related writing-table (pl.44), together with a McLean 'Pouch table' with related ringed columnar supports (pl.65). Amongst similar tables illustrated by S. Redburn, 'John McLean and Son', Furniture History Journal, 1978, pp.31-37, is one with arabesque 'boulle' inlay, which was formerly at Lowther Castle (pl.38a).