Fontainebleau Palace, France
Secrétaire by Jean-Henri Riesener
This eye-catching roll-front secrétaire was made by Jean-Henri reseller just a few years before the French Revolution. It was a commission from Marie Antoinette.
Mother-of-pearl is indeed opulent. It is also difficult to work (certainly more so than wood). This is the type of piece Riesener made many times, but with wood. Clearly the Queen was suggesting that she needed something more unique than other French aristocrats could own.
Let them eat cake!