Modesty panel

[1] In particular, it refers to a thin board of wood or metal that is attached to the front of a desk, drafting table, electronic organ, or similar item, to shield legs, ankles, or feet from view.

[1][2] The panel provides privacy for the person seated at the desk or organ, as it covers the upper part of the legs.

[4] Early modesty panels were often used in Quaker meeting houses and other churches of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, growing in popularity during the Victorian era.

Later, as women entered the secretarial force in large numbers during the twentieth century, modesty panels were added to office desks.

[5] Modesty panels may cover the cleavage of a bust[6] or the crotch, in particular providing a moisture-proof barrier under a skirt.