The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 22, 2025
Ladies Writing Desk
c. 1750–75
Overall: 97.2 x 76.2 x 44.5 cm (38 1/4 x 30 x 17 1/2 in.)
Location: Not on view
Did You Know?
The surface of this ladies writing desk is completely covered with straw marquetry decoration both outside and in.Description
As early as the beginning of the 17th century, straw marquetry was being produced throughout Europe. Along with cabinetmakers and specialized artisans, creators of straw marquetry included home artisans, nuns, monks, and noble dilettantes. Thus the quality and design of objects using straw marquetry is quite diverse. While some pieces appear nearly naive, others are made very masterfully, such as with this ladies writing desk. Some of these objects were even presented in royal cabinets of wonder. Because of its silky gloss and bright colors, straw marquetry was held in great esteem as unusual and remarkable decoration for furniture and other objects on par with gemstones, tortoiseshell, or ivory.- Grace Rainey Rogers, New York.
- Milliken, William. "The Rousseau de la Rottière Room the Gift of Grace Rainey Rogers." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 29, no. 4 (April 1942): 47-66 Mentioned: p. 50-51; Reproduced: p. 62 www.jstor.orgThe Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 142 archive.orgThe Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 142 archive.orgThe Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 185 archive.org
- {{cite web|title=Ladies Writing Desk|url=false|author=|year=c. 1750–75|access-date=22 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1942.40