Solid mancenillier sloping desk, Nantes work, Louis XV period

Extremely rare sloping desk in solid mancenillium, curved on the front, it opens with three drawers in two rows on the lower section and a flap on the upper section, the latter resting on two pulls to reveal a curved interior with many secrets, lined with six drawers, four niches and a wicket door.
The sides are glazed and the bottom rails adorned with a fine moulding, and it stands on four curved legs. The backs are in solid Cuban oak and mahogany, and the bottom floor is in solid Cuban mahogany.
The slightly curved edges of the drawer fronts and sides, the finesse of the drawer sides and the quality of the joints, as well as the tiny pegs, attest to the meticulous craftsmanship of a master cabinetmaker.
18th-century port work (Nantes).
Safeguard restorations carried out, filled-waxed finish in natural color, not tinted.
I would like to thank Mr. Patrick LANGBOUR of CIRAD for identifying this mancenilla wood:
Mancenilla (Hippomane mancinella) of the Euphorbiaceae family. The species is found in Central America, the Caribbean, the West Indies and northern South America. Its fine-grained wood, sometimes veined yellow-brown, was exploited and valued in colonial times.