This handsome, Italian prayer desk is made predominantly of a dark walnut veneer over pine with the front facades rich with inlaid decorations of olive, citronnier and mahogany wood. The prayer desk consists of two sections: the bottom-third, upon which one kneels; and the top two-thirds, on which arms and hands are rested in prayer. The sides of the desk are plain dark walnut with rounded molding. The bottom section is deeper than the recessed top, allowing room for one to kneel, and consists of short c-curved stout walnut feet and the rectangular kneeling space. The upper two-thirds arises vertically with the wide front panel broken up by two, narrow vertical panels, one on each side of the center cabinet door. Each section is outlined with dark walnut molding. This tall vertical portion is topped by a narrow drawer extending the length and width of the prayer desk and separated from the lower vertical sections by three layers of dark walnut horizontal molding. Both the drawer and door have small, unobtrusive dark walnut knobs for opening.

Intricate wood inlays cover all front vertical surfaces of the desk, as well as the horizontal kneeling ledge. The narrow drawer at the top is decorated with contrasting dark and light inlaid wood with a rectangular box at each end adorned by geometric shapes, and the longer center section with a vine-like vegetative motif, all outlined in a thin checkerboard border. The lateral narrow vertical panels of the central section have vertical chains of 6 cherubs, each entwined with the adjacent cherubs, fashioned from light word against a darker wood background. The expansive middle door is centered by a vertically elongated octagonal section, outlined in dark walnut molding, bearing a coat of arms with a double-headed eagle above a series of chevrons. Above the coat of arms is a helmet-like ornament; below, an animal’s face; and on each side, a loosely trailing vine with leaves. Outside the dark walnut moldings of the octagonal frame, but still on the door are repetitive, spiked geometric forms that flank the lateral panels and mid-top and mid-bottom borders, with a three-tiered c-scroll candelabra-shaped inlay in each corner. The vertical front of the kneeling rectangle bears an intertwined leaf and vine motif with two semi-reclining nude figures all bordered by a checkerboard design. Finally, the horizontal kneeling surface has contrasting wood inlays of a bird with a large tail in the center and one large and several smaller trees arising from the slightly undulating ground at the bottom. A checkerboard border surrounds this center motif.