A few years ago I came across an auction website that was selling (with a reserve of $24,000) the piece below:

[From the website]
This desk is one of at least twenty examples that have been identified in public and private collections nationwide, including the Museum of the City of New York and the Morris-Jumel Mansion in New York City. Such desks are frequently known as "Aaron Burr" desks due to a 1911 article which illustrated an example and stated not only had it belonged to Aaron Burr, but, with its small size, had been specifically designed to accommodate his "short stature" ("Here is the Quaint Old Desk on Which Aaron Burr Penned His Love to Mme. Jumel," New York Herald, Sunday, December 24, 1911). [Another source quotes the article as erroneously stating that it was here that Aaron Burr had penned his challenge to Alexander Hamilton.] Burr's death in 1836, however, pre-dates Hedges' patent.

When Stephen Hedges patented this extraordinary Table/Desk in April 1854, he could not have imagined he was creating a design that would be linked to one of the country's most colorful historical figures. The invention was described by Hedges as "A new and useful Piece of Furniture, Intended to Serve as a Table Alone or as Chair and Table combined." What he claimed as unique was the manner of hinging "a table of ordinary construction" with a chair to form a small stand, writing desk, and chair in one. Even though the patent was issued 18 years after Burr's death, the desk became forever known as The Aaron Burr Desk.

The design appealed to me, mostly for the challenge of engineering and building it, but also because it had the large panels in the apron which were perfect for marquetry, i.e., a Full-Dress desk.

I'm not sure where the Dragon motif on my desk came from, but upon reflection, Dragons are traditional in oriental furniture, New England was a hub of the China trade in the 19th Century and therefore was familiar with oriental furniture and motifs, Aaron Burr was from New England, therefore Aaron Burr = Dragons! Right?

At any rate Dragons justify color and I like using color.

The Dragons are composed of various species and colors of dyed and natural wood veneers set into a background of Imbuya Burl. The desk structure is Walnut and the top is composed of English Fiddleback Sycamore, Pommele Sapele, Quartersawn and Fiddleback Makore, Figured Walnut and accented with Black Dyed Pearwood. Inside, the drawer compartment features Pommele Sapele inset with ribbon banding.

This may well be the first one of these built in 100 years, although of course there is no way to tell for sure.

Click Here to see the completed Desk.