bonheur du jour
small, dainty writing table, introduced in the 1760s, which became one of the most popular varieties of French 18th-century furniture. A block of storage compartments, set along the back of the top and often partly enclosed, incorporates a drawer, cupboards, and shelves and is sometimes topped by a decorative brass or ormolu gallery. High, slender legs are often joined by a shelf that acts as a stretcher, and the frieze (decorative horizontal band) contains a drawer. Some bonheurs du jour are fitted with toilet accessories.
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