Bonheur du jour

A Bonheur -du- jour is a small, delicate women's desk, which was introduced in the 1760s by the Paris Marchand - Mercier and was promoted in France one of the most popular furniture of the 18th century. The table had a low back top with open or closed shelves and drawers. The top section of sometimes formed a decorative openwork, open to the front gallery of brass or gold bronze. Luxuriously furnished copies could be decorated with intricate inlays and veneers, as well as parts of Sèvres porcelain.

The early specimens were oval and had slender, curved legs. Later, the stricter, straight lines of the Louis XVI style predominated, and the tabletops were rectangular. Some Bonheur -du- jour were equipped with accessories makeup and styling. A side table with drawer flat often served to increase the workspace.

The Bonheur du jour was the equivalent for ladies as Secretary.