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Where Is This Mind-Blowing Antique Transforming Desk Hiding Its Autobot Logo?

Maybe we’ve all been looking in the wrong place for proof of extra-terrestrial life. Because it’s hard to imagine this incredibly complex transforming desk coming from anywhere but Cybertron, the home planet of the Autobots and Decepticons.

Surprisingly, though, it does hail from earth. And was actually created as far back as the late 1700s by master furniture craftsmen Abraham and David Roentgen. The desk certainly looks ornate at first glance, but it’s when its endless secret lockboxes and drawers start to be revealed that you’ll be truly impressed by the craftsmanship behind it. And jump ahead to the two-minute mark for a ridiculously complex pop-out easel that could out-transform even Optimus Prime. [The Metropolitan Museum of Art via Make]