Monroe Plateau in the State Dining Room, White House Collection

This gilded bronze and mirrored plateau or centerpiece was made by the Parisian firm Denière et Matelin circa 1817, during James Monroe's presidency. Elements of the plateau may have been based on designs by the famed French architects Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, who completed many commissions for Napoleon. Visitors marveled over the elegant piece, shown here in the White House State Dining Room.