<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><mads xmlns="http://www.loc.gov/mads/" xmlns:mods="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.loc.gov/mads/
mads.xsd"><authority><topic authority="http://AATesaurus.cultura.gencat.cat/aat/getty_en">bureaus</topic></authority><related type="other"><topic>chests of drawers</topic></related><related type="broader"><topic>slant-front desks</topic></related><variant type="other"><topic>bureau</topic></variant><variant type="other"><topic>bureaux</topic></variant><variant type="other"><topic>desk</topic></variant> <note xml:lang="en"><![CDATA[ Refers to either a writing table incorporating drawers or a type of case furniture, generally a chest of drawers, with a hinged, fall-front writing surface. The first furniture types to be referred to by this term developed in France in the mid-17th century, the term having evolved from the medieval French word for a coarse linen cloth that was laid on a table to provide a surface for writing.  In modern usage, in Europe a "bureau" is a writing desk, usually with a hinged writing flap that rests at a sloping angle when closed and, when opened, reveals a tier of pigeonholes, small drawers, and sometimes a small cupboard.  In the United States, a "bureau" is typically synonymous with a "chest of drawers," having lost the surface for writing. ]]></note></mads>