A lady's small writing table, with an upper, usually glass-fronted cabinet containing drawers, pigeonholes and other storage. Very feminine and elegant, the form was first introduced in France in the mid-18th century, although it was quickly taken up by the English cabinetmakers. The style continued to be made throughout the 19th century, very often ebonised with gilt mounts and porcelain plaque inserts. The term literally means 'happiness of the day', and it was presumably at such a desk that the society matron both read and wrote her morning letters.

51 items found:

These items have been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.

Antique Boulle marquetry 'Bonheur du jour' desk with gilt…

Boulle marquetry desk with gilt bronze decoration and cylinder top

Antique Boulle marquetry 'Bonheur du jour' desk with gilt bronze decoration. cylinder top, fitted interior and drawer, with writing surface top, 119 cm wide, 56 cm deep, 167 cm high

An Aesthetic movement ebonised bonheur du jour, the…

Ebonised Aesthetic Bonheur du Jour with Painted Panels and Mirror

An Aesthetic movement ebonised bonheur du jour, the superstructure with spindle galleried back rail and two painted panel doors with a swan and a heron, flanking a mirror, one long drawer and two smaller drawers, the lower section with one drawer, on…

A Victorian burr walnut & inlaid Bonheur du jour, the…

Victorian Burr Walnut & Inlaid Bonheur du Jour with Bronze Mounts

A Victorian burr walnut & inlaid Bonheur du jour, the superstructure with a central glazed cupboard, flanked by three small drawers to each side, on a shaped base fitted one drawer and with rococo style bronze mounts throughout, raised on cabriole legs,…

A Victorian walnut bonheur du jour, the back with carved and…

Victorian Walnut Bonheur Du Jour with Ebonised Details

A Victorian walnut bonheur du jour, the back with carved and turned ebonised gallery, two small drawers to either side of a central compartment, the top (with replacement insert) slides out, two shaped drawers to the front, raised on ebonised cabriole…

A George III satinwood and sabicu bonheur-du-jour, attributed…

George III Satinwood Bonheur-du-jour with Leather Writing Surface

A George III satinwood and sabicu bonheur-du-jour, attributed to George Simson, circa 1790, with a gallery back above an open compartment and drawer, the extended lower section with a fall front fitted with an arrangement of compartments, drawers and a…

A French ebonised ormolu bonheur du jour, inlaid and painted…

Elegant French Bonheur du Jour with Inlaid Details

A French ebonised ormolu bonheur du jour, inlaid and painted decoration with ormolu trim to the back shelves and two small drawers, the top with conforming details and mother of pearl inlay, a shaped full width drawer contains a writing slide, raised on…

A Louis XVI style brass inlaid mahogany bonheur-du-jour, late…

Brass inlaid mahogany bonheur-du-jour

A Louis XVI style brass inlaid mahogany bonheur-du-jour, late 19th century, the wreath inlaid shaped back with a display shelf supported by brass columns above two drawers, the fold-out green velvet-lined writing surface above a frieze drawer, on reeded…

A Victorian burr walnut and inlaid lady's Bonheur du jour;…

Victorian Burr Walnut Bonheur du Jour

A Victorian burr walnut and inlaid lady's Bonheur du jour; circa 1870, the superstructure with a central mirrored cupboard flanked by six small drawers, on a serpentine base with central drawer and cabriole legs, having rocaille bronze mounts throughout…

A marquetry inlaid fall front bonheur-du-jour, French, with…

French Marquetry Bonheur-du-jour with Tapered Legs

A marquetry inlaid fall front bonheur-du-jour, French, with tapering scored legs, 100 cm high, 72 cm wide, 55 cm deep

An Edwardian Sheraton style satinwood bonheur-du-jour, 114 cm…

Edwardian Satinwood Bonheur-du-jour Cabinet

An Edwardian Sheraton style satinwood bonheur-du-jour, 114 cm high, 77 cm wide, 44.5 cm deep

Satinwood bonheur de jour, early, 20th century, Sheraton…

Satinwood Sheraton Revival Writing Desk

Satinwood bonheur de jour, early, 20th century, Sheraton Revival ebony string inlay with hand painted wreath design fold over writing slope four drawers and shelf below, height 101 cm, width 72 cm, depth 41 cm

A Napoleon III ebonised bonheur-de-jour, third quarter 19th…

Napoleon III Ebonised Bonheur-de-jour with Inlaid Brass and Pearl

A Napoleon III ebonised bonheur-de-jour, third quarter 19th century, with a brass gallery above two cupboards and twin drawers, the extended base with a long drawer and raised on fluted tapering legs united by stretchers, delicately inlaid and engraved…

A Louis XV style kingwood and burr walnut gilt metal mounted…

Louis XV Bonheur du Jour

A Louis XV style kingwood and burr walnut gilt metal mounted bonheur du jour, 19th century, 115 cm high, 82 cm wide, 50 cm deep

A fine Victorian marquetry and Vernis Martin rosewood bonheur…

Victorian Vernis Martin Rosewood Bonheur de Jour by Shoolbred

A fine Victorian marquetry and Vernis Martin rosewood bonheur de jour in the French manner by James Shoolbred, 19th century, with plaque of James Shoolbred Tottenham house London, the diamond pattern desk with three drawers above a Vernis Martin roll top…

19th century French walnut ladies bonheur de jour, ladies…

French Walnut Ladies Writing Table with Ormolu Mounts

19th century French walnut ladies bonheur de jour, ladies writing table fitted with a drawer, embossed leather top and ormolu mounts

A 19th century boulle bonheur-du-jour writing desk, Louis XVI…

Louis XVI Boulle Writing Desk

A 19th century boulle bonheur-du-jour writing desk, Louis XVI style, pierced three-quarter edged gallery top, above two doors and two drawers, with serpentine frieze drawer raised on cabriole legs, with gilt metal mounts and ornate brass strapwork, the…

Antique French bonheur du jour writing desk, signed Au Vieux…

French Bonheur du Jour Writing Desk with Clock and Drawers

Antique French bonheur du jour writing desk, signed Au Vieux Chine Alger, fitted with a central clock, secret double drawer front cupboard below clock, three drawers to the base inlaid and cross banded decoration, bronze mounts, has key, 134 cm high, 97…

A finely inlaid kingwood transitional style Bonheur De jour,…

Inlaid Kingwood Bonheur De Jour with Bronze Mounts

A finely inlaid kingwood transitional style Bonheur De jour, circa 1900, a pierced gilt bronze gallery to the shaped top above a pair of cupboards with internal shelving, a frieze drawer with a shaped apron flowing to elegant cabriole legs, inlaid with…

Antique French Louis XVI style bonheur du jour with mirror back,…

Louis XVI Bonheur du Jour with Porcelain Panels

Antique French Louis XVI style bonheur du jour with mirror back, ormolu mounts and porcelain panels, the centre drawer opening to a tooled insert writing surface, 135 cm wide, 56 cm deep, 152 cm high

Directoire mahogany and ormolu mounted bonheur du jour,…

Mahogany Bonheur du Jour with Ormolu Mounts

Directoire mahogany and ormolu mounted bonheur du jour, mid-19th century, bevelled mirror flanked by two gallery topped sections of three short drawers over a frieze having two short drawers and one long drawer, with pull-out writing surface, above three…

Napoleon III ebonised ormolu mounted Bonheur-du-jour, c. 1850,…

Napoleon III Bonheur-du-jour with Inlaid Top and Fitted Interior

Napoleon III ebonised ormolu mounted Bonheur-du-jour, c. 1850, the shaped oval top with floral inlaid decoration opens to reveal a fitted interior with mirror, raised on four tapering reeded legs joined by x shape stretchers, height 72 cm width 68 cm…

French kingwood bonheur du jour the top with brass framed…

Kingwood Bonheur du Jour with Brass and Parquetry Details

French kingwood bonheur du jour the top with brass framed gallery and parquetry panel, cupboard enclosed by three brass and parquetry doors, green leather writing surface, frieze drawer below on cabriole legs joined by shaped under tier

A Victorian gilt metal mounted inlaid walnut bonheur du jour,…

Victorian Inlaid Walnut Bonheur du Jour

A Victorian gilt metal mounted inlaid walnut bonheur du jour, circa 1880, 142 cm high, 88 cm wide, 50 cm deep

A Victorian gilt metal mounted inlaid walnut bonheur du jour,…

Victorian Walnut Bonheur du Jour with Gilt Mounts

A Victorian gilt metal mounted inlaid walnut bonheur du jour, circa 1880, 105 cm high, 93 cm wide, 50 cm deep

A Victorian gilt metal mounted inlaid walnut bonheur du jour,…

Victorian Inlaid Walnut Bonheur du Jour

A Victorian gilt metal mounted inlaid walnut bonheur du jour, circa 1880, 123 cm high, 117 cm wide, 69 cm deep

Louis XV style Italian bonheur du jour with gilt banding and…

Italian Louis XV Bonheur du Jour with Gilt Banding

Louis XV style Italian bonheur du jour with gilt banding and Vernis Martin panel, on cabriole legs with ormolu sabots, approx. 110 cm high, 75.5 cm wide, 51 cm deep

Bonheur du jour. Louis XVI style, ladies writing desk, kingwood…

Louis XVI Ladies Writing Desk

Bonheur du jour. Louis XVI style, ladies writing desk, kingwood & ormolu two lower drawers, top cabinet fitted with single shelf, Behind two doors, height 116 cm width 92 cm

A Louis XV style gilt metal mounted and mother of pearl inlaid…

Gilt Metal and Mother of Pearl Bonheur de Jour

A Louis XV style gilt metal mounted and mother of pearl inlaid kingwood and walnut bonheur de jour, 19th century, 87 cm high, 115 cm wide, 65 cm deep

A Louis XVI style rosewood and marquetry bonheur du jour, later…

Marquetry Bonheur du Jour in Louis XVI Style

A Louis XVI style rosewood and marquetry bonheur du jour, later 19th century, with label of Ecole Blanc, Rue Paradis Marseilles, of elegant proportions, the writing desk with a central glazed velvet lined cupboard flanked by open compartments, the hinged…

A 20th century French style lady's kingwood Bonheur du jour,…

French Kingwood Bonheur du Jour Writing Desk

A 20th century French style lady's kingwood Bonheur du jour, the writing desk with classical ormolu mounts including framing to the painted fall front and frieze panels, scrolling legs

A French Louis XV style kingwood bonheur-du-jour. 93 cm high,…

Louis XV Bonheur-du-jour in Kingwood

A French Louis XV style kingwood bonheur-du-jour. 93 cm high, 66 cm wide, 40 cm high

A French Louis XV style rosewood and floral a musical marquetry…

Floral Musical Bonheur du Jour in Louis XV Style

A French Louis XV style rosewood and floral a musical marquetry bonheur du jour. 132 cm high, 71 cm wide, 48 cm deep

19th century French walnut and marquetry bonheur du jour the…

French Walnut Marquetry Bonheur du Jour with Ormolu Mounts

19th century French walnut and marquetry bonheur du jour the top with mirrored centre, small drawer and two cupboards, fall-front writing surface on cabriole legs the whole with ormolu mounts.

A bonheur du jour. Height 89 cm. Width 80 cm. Depth 50 cm

Antique Bonheur du Jour: Petite and Elegant

A bonheur du jour. Height 89 cm. Width 80 cm. Depth 50 cm

A Louis XV style gilt brass mounted and marquetry inlaid…

Gilt Brass Bonheur-de-jour with Marquetry Inlay

A Louis XV style gilt brass mounted and marquetry inlaid bonheur-de-jour, late 19th/early 20th century, 92 cm high, 72 cm wide, 44 cm deep

A fine antique French kingwood Bonheur-de-jour, 19th century,…

French Rococo Kingwood Bonheur-de-jour Desk

A fine antique French kingwood Bonheur-de-jour, 19th century, of transitional rococo style, the parquetry horseshoe shaped desk with a shaped timber gallery and conforming shelves to a central marble topped pedestal with two small drawers above a leather…

A Louis XV style piano top Bonheur-de-jour in mahogany and burr…

Mahogany and Walnut Bonheur-de-jour with Bronze Mounts

A Louis XV style piano top Bonheur-de-jour in mahogany and burr walnut, with three petite drawers above a piano lid section opening when activated to reveal a fitted interior and a walnut fold back writing plane, supported on elegant slender legs, and…

A French Louis XV style inlaid rosewood Bonheur de jour, 19th…

Louis XV Inlaid Rosewood Bonheur de Jour

A French Louis XV style inlaid rosewood Bonheur de jour, 19th century, with a pierced brass gallery above two glazed doors with gilt bronze trims, a serpentine shaped fall front below opening to a fitted compartment with small drawers, a writing plane and…

A bonheur du jour / ladies writing desk, 19th century.,…

19th Century Satinwood Ladies Writing Desk

A bonheur du jour / ladies writing desk, 19th century., probably English. Satinwood, mixed various veneer work construction. The desk has a single lower drawer with five desk top stationery drawers. The upper desk is decorated with a twin brass gallery,…

A French Louis XV style Bonheur Du Jour, with a brass gallery,…

Louis XV Style Floral Marquetry Bonheur Du Jour

A French Louis XV style Bonheur Du Jour, with a brass gallery, the fall with floral marquetry decoration on high cabriole legs with ormolu sabots. 91 cm high, 66 cm wide, 46 cm deep

A Louis XV style parquetry inlaid bonheur du jour with a raised…

Louis XV Parquetry Bonheur du Jour

A Louis XV style parquetry inlaid bonheur du jour with a raised back housing three drawers, above two frieze drawers, cabriole supports, 130 x 93.5 x 95 cm.

A Louis XVI style marquetry inlaid rosewood bonheur du jour…

Marquetry Rosewood Writing Desk with Brass Gallery

A Louis XVI style marquetry inlaid rosewood bonheur du jour with a brass gallery edged top above a drop front writing surface with a foliate marquetry inlaid cartouche, cabriole supports, 72.5 x 92.5 x 46 cm.

An unusual coromandel panelled bonheur du jour with gilt legs,…

Coromandel Bonheur du Jour with Gilt Legs

An unusual coromandel panelled bonheur du jour with gilt legs, English/Chinese circa 1920, 76 cm high, 105 cm wide, 52 cm wide

19th century French walnut bonheur de jour ladies writing desk

French Walnut Ladies Writing Desk

19th century French walnut bonheur de jour ladies writing desk

A French inlaid rosewood ladies Bonheur de jour on mounted…

Rosewood Ladies Bonheur de Jour with Inlaid Design

A French inlaid rosewood ladies Bonheur de jour on mounted cabriole legs with fitted interior and bombe shaped fall, top & sides.

A French oak ladies 'Bonheur Du Jour'

French Oak Ladies Writing Desk

A French oak ladies 'Bonheur Du Jour'

A French Louis XVI style kingwood bonheur du jour. On square…

Louis XVI-style Kingwood Bonheur du Jour with Marble Top

A French Louis XVI style kingwood bonheur du jour. On square tapering legs having three doors and three drawers with raised marble top. 122 cm high, 94 cm wide, 58 cm deep

A French Louis XV-style Bonheur-du-jour in fine timbers, first…

Louis XV-style Bonheur-du-jour with Parquetry & Veneering

A French Louis XV-style Bonheur-du-jour in fine timbers, first half 20th century, of slightly bombe form with a fall front enclosing a finely crafted arrangement of three small drawers and a sliding compartment, superb parquetry and decorative veneering…

A fine French kingwood bonheur du jour, the small proportion…

French Kingwood Parquetry Bonheur du Jour Writing Desk

A fine French kingwood bonheur du jour, the small proportion lady's writing desk inlaid with parquetry panels of book matched veneers, the superstructure with two doors and two small drawers, the base with a fold-out writing panel raised above a small…

An important French mid 19th century satinwood, bonheur du jour,…

French Satinwood Bonheur du Jour with Porcelain Panels

An important French mid 19th century satinwood, bonheur du jour, the centre with three drawers flanked cupboards, each with ormolu banding, and doors with painted porcelain panels, above a frieze drawer with enclosing inset leather writing slope, ormolu…

A Victorian ebonized bonheur du jour, the arched shaped top…

Victorian Ebonized Bonheur du Jour with Porcelain Panels

A Victorian ebonized bonheur du jour, the arched shaped top with porcelain panel within ormolu mounts above a shelf with three porcelain painted panels, the top with inset porcelain panels and ormolu banded edge, below single frieze drawer with conforming…