Indonesian Colonial Style Desk

Legs like a stack of turned chess pieces. The top could seat a board meeting.

This colonial style desk comes from the Dutch East Indies, present day Indonesia, and dates to the 20th century. It is built of teak wood. Dutch colonial furniture grew out of European forms made by local craftsmen in local timber, for the offices and homes of officials and merchants, and teak stands up well to a humid climate. An arched kneehole divides two paneled drawers. The left keeps an iron bail handle; the right shows only a small fitting. Four bulbous turned legs carry it all. It measures 79 inches long, 38 deep and 33 high.

Paperwork has seldom looked this small.