{"product_id":"pasture-and-pen-a-charming-19th-century-hand-painted-lap-desk","title":"Pasture and Pen: A Charming 19th-Century Hand-Painted Lap Desk","description":"This 19th-century painted wood lap desk, likely of French origin, is of rectangular form with a hinged lid finely decorated with a naturalistic pastoral scene depicting a standing cow within a rural landscape. The front and side panels are similarly hand-painted in oil with lively animal vignettes, including goats and dogs set amid grasses, flowers, and rustic ground cover, forming a cohesive decorative program inspired by countryside life. The paintings are executed directly onto the wood and retain a rich, slightly darkened surface consistent with age and gentle wear; the informal yet confident handling of the brushwork suggests the decoration may have been added by the original owner rather than a professional workshop.\r\n\r\nThe interior opens to reveal a painted writing surface and compartmentalized interior, with original divisions intended for writing implements and papers. The desk retains its original key escutcheon and a functioning lock, with key present. Both the construction and the personalized decorative treatment suggest production for the 19th-century middle-class domestic market, where such lap desks served as practical, portable furniture for writing and correspondence, often customized to reflect the tastes and interests of their owners.\r\n\r\nDimensions: 15.25\" length x 10.5\" width x 3.5\" height.\r\n\r\n ","brand":"Creel and Gow","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48267551146232,"sku":"D658_LD","price":2000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0796\/6389\/0680\/files\/SQ-1_489e33aa-b1d4-4165-8b34-1569743a52d0.jpg?v=1777023259","url":"https:\/\/www.creelandgow.com\/products\/pasture-and-pen-a-charming-19th-century-hand-painted-lap-desk","provider":"Creel and Gow","version":"1.0","type":"link"}