A French polished steel and gilt-bronze stand, circa 1870

In the late 18th century, as a trend, skilled furniture makers created polished steel console tables adorned with intricate gilt-bronze mounts for grand palaces. Despite their rarity due to the scarcity and difficulty of working with steel, these tables gained popularity for imitating silver. The trend persisted into the Consulat and Empire eras, with renowned craftsman Jacques-Antoine Courbin supplying polished steel beds to royal residences. Notably, Marie Antoinette owned a polished steel writing table crafted by Adam Weisweiler for the Château de Saint-Cloud, a piece now housed in the Louvre.