Although marginally larger, the overall design of this ormolu-mounted table à écrire bears a strong similarity to a writing table which once belonged to Marie-Antoinette, now in the J.A. Rothschild collection at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, made by Jean-Henri Reisener (maître-ébéniste 1768-1806) and probably supplied to the Petit Trianon around 1780. The Waddesdon desk has an elaborately inlaid marquetry shelf between the legs matching a more complex top writing surface as well as floral marquetry inlaid panels to the frieze, where this one has plain panels; however, the ormolu mounts of vine-entwined thyrsi, floral pendants and acanthus-cast sabots are virtually identical

A similar table à écrire was sold in these rooms, 17 March 1994, lot 96