Bonheur-du-Jour Desks: Identification Guide

The bonheur-du-jour is a small writing table with a raised cabinet or superstructure, associated especially with eighteenth-century French furniture and later revivals.

History and function

Luxury examples can combine marquetry, porcelain plaques, lacquer, gilt-bronze mounts and fitted writing surfaces. British and later makers adapted the form.

Construction and identifying evidence

• Inspect table and superstructure connection.
• Check small drawers, doors and secret spaces.
• Assess writing slide or fall.
• Identify marble, porcelain or lacquer additions.
• Compare mounts and fixing holes.

A small cabinet placed on a table can imitate the type. The upper and lower sections should share design and construction.

Dating and attribution

Inspect backs, undersides, interiors, secondary woods, joints, hardware and protected finish. Date the complete construction rather than one decorative feature. Published designs establish influence, not automatic workshop authorship.

French workshop stamps, marks and provenance require authentication. Decorative plaques may date independently.

Alterations and reproductions

Nineteenth-century Louis XVI Revival examples are often described as eighteenth-century. Replacement porcelain and mounts occur.

Look for redundant holes, fresh cuts, mismatched oxidation, replacement feet, tops, leather, glass or mechanisms. Describe restoration and uncertainty clearly.

Condition and care

Protect small keys and fragile plaques. Do not polish mounts against veneer.

Do not force locks, shutters, falls or slides. Retain original material, labels, marks and serviceable repairs. Complex mechanisms, fragile surfaces and serious structural damage need a conservator.

Examination sequence

1. Identify the exact form and mechanism.
2. Record dimensions, timbers and fittings.
3. Inspect every safely accessible hidden surface.
4. Test whether sections were made together.
5. Verify marks against dated records.
6. Compare with documented museum examples.
7. Separate designer, maker and retailer.

Sources

Use the [V&A furniture collection](https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/furniture), [V&A construction guidance](https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/furniture-how-was-it-made), and securely catalogued museum objects.