Carlton House deskabout 1815George OakleyCalamander, gilt metal, leather writing surfaceThe design of this desk with a stepped superstructure is traditionally associated with Carlton House, the London residence of the Prince Regent, later King George IV. The fashion for furniture in the “Grecian” taste inlaid in the “buhl” manner was a specialty of the Bond Street cabinet-maker George Oakley, whose “Manufactory and Magazine for fashionable Furniture” was patronized by George IV, then Prince Regent. Exotic woods with striking grain, such as calamander, or zebra wood, from the British colonies (most likely India), were popular during the Regency period in England.Furniture89.8526797054 Inches0.0000000000 Centimeter59.3726187452 Centimeterhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/detailsrdf/509851;jsessionid=2E38D1F0953730736D827B94C4F7C3A0