Behold, the glories of the Auckland War Memorial Museum’s work (i.e. sewing) table.
This elegant piece of furniture is embellished with gilded lacquer and furnished with ivory implements (made back in the day when elephants were a lot more populous than at present).
Regrettably, the entry on the Auckland Museum site does not include any detail on the “50 parts” – or photos of what sits under the mysteriously closed lacquered lids to each side – but a brief squint at the midsection detects bobbins, clamps (for netting?) and at least one bodkin.
I am particularly desirous of knowing what the bit at the bottom of the box is – a slide-out work surface of some sort, perhaps? (Any Auckland-based readers with further details?)
But the question is, have you ever seen a more delectably gorgeous set-up for handworking? If so, please provide prolific photographic evidence so the rest of us may drool along with you.