Desks have been a part of household furnishings since the 1600s, although an antique desk dating from around 1450 can be seen at the Lincoln Cathedral in England.
These early desks were primarily constructed from oak or walnut and two main configurations existed, one known as a desk and one known as a bureau.
The "desk" of the period consisted of a sloped box on a stand and the "bureau" was the term for a sloping box with drawers.
It is this version that has adopted the term desk in today's language.
The core style has changed over the years, with the French giving us the "roll top" version in the 1600s.
This consisted of a desk with a rounded top, which when rotated, disappeared into the desk.
The modern design common today was first seen around 1700 and initial adaptations also provided a small cupboard at the back for extra storage capacity.
At the close of the 19th century, the basic desk became a much more refined piece of furniture and it was common to see elaborate legs and ornate mahogony desktops.
Chippendale, then the most famous furniture maker, produced some fine specimens of writing desks with plain cabriole legs and ogee feet.
Tables were often carved into a serpentine shape and had the extra "knee hole" storage cupboard popular with the versions of earlier times.
These often found their way into the homes of wealthy estate owners and were enormous when compared to today's common desk.
It was quite common to see desks that were six feet long and up to four feet deep.
The use of inlays of different wood styles also became prevalent around this time and many beautiful examples still exist, using rosewood and satinwood.
So, if you want an antique desk, what should you look for when buying? Well, firstly stand back and look at the desk.
Desks of any great age will have shrunk and will not have the exact uniformity of modern furniture.
It should also exhibit some wear and tear on the corners, don't forget that it may have been in existence for over two hundred years and been subjected to hundreds of documents and users, so you can expect it to shown some sign of wear, particularly on corners.
Look inside the drawers for signs of modern life such as precisely made joints or an over abundance of glue.
The use of round head nails is also a sign of a modern piece.
The usual motto is that if a piece looks too good to be true then it probably is! Secondly look at the finish of the desk top.
The makers of antique furniture took great pride in the finish of the wood, particularly on desk tops, and any purchase should be examined closely for the fine grained finish and beautiful luster of wood that only an expert hand can provide.
Finally question the seller for evidence of the longevity of the piece.
Photographs, letters and other written material can be useful evidence to corroborate its age.