Editing Portable desk (section)

==Medieval era and Renaissance==
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All desks were portable to some extent, from medieval times to the end of the Renaissance, with the exception of built-in tables and inclined ranks of desks found in places such as the scriptorium or library of a [[monastery]].  This was due to the itinerant nature of medieval kingship and the similar conditions that prevailed in lesser administrations under dukes or counts.  There was rarely a single capital for a kingdom, and the monarch and his (or her) court would travel periodically between several seats of power during the year, taking precious goods and much of their furniture with them. A good example of this is [[Henry VIII's writing desk]].  The traditional French words for furniture – ''le mobilier'' and ''les meubles'' – reflect this.  They describe those goods that are "mobile", in contrast to those that are not: ''les immeubles'', that is, buildings.

The desks in medieval woodcuts and other illustrations of the period were massive affairs, but could be hauled by several men. Some were made of pieces that could be knocked down for transport. The [[trestle desk]] was a common form for the period.  It was usually fitted with a slanted top.

In the homes of lesser nobles and certain members of the [[merchant]] classes the portable furniture never travelled very far.  Most domestic life took place in a single large hall.  Furniture was constantly shifted around, stored and often disassembled to suit the role the great room was playing at a particular time in the day or the month.