A Table for a Mistress

Madame de Pompadour owned this mechanical table that was made between 1761-63. The table is made of oak, veneered with mahogany, tulipwood and kingwood. At each corner there is a tower which was the main feature of Madame de Pompadour's coat of arms. The table is designed for the top to slide back at the same time as the larger part of the desk which creates a bigger surface. In the 18th century a mechanical table was not only very expensive but also very technologically advanced.