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Secretaires For Sale
Rare Gunnel Nyman for Boman Secretaire in Pyramid Mahogany
Rare Gunnel Nyman for Boman Secretaire in Pyramid Mahogany

Rare Gunnel Nyman for Boman Secretaire in Pyramid Mahogany

By Gunnel Nyman, Boman OY

Located in Waalwijk, NL

Gunnel Anita Gustafsson-Nyman for Oy Boman Ab, secretaire, pyramid mahogany, Finland, ca. 1937 The Finnish artist Gunnel Anita Gustafsson-Nyman (1909–1948) is best known for her gl...

Category

1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Late 18th-Century Swedish Secretary, c. 1780-90
Late 18th-Century Swedish Secretary, c. 1780-90

Late 18th-Century Swedish Secretary, c. 1780-90

Located in Kastrup, DK

Beautiful Gustavian secrétaire desk / bureau crafted in oak and finished in a decorative light blue hue with an attractive patina. The piece is constructed in two sections, with an ...

Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass, Iron

18th Century Swedish Baroque Slant Front Secretaire
18th Century Swedish Baroque Slant Front Secretaire

18th Century Swedish Baroque Slant Front Secretaire

Located in Charleston, SC

18th century Swedish secretaire, from Baroque period, circa 1750 in original gorgeous blue/green patinated color with slant front desk with interior features numerous small drawers ...

Category

Mid-18th Century Swedish Baroque Antique Secretaires

Materials

Bronze

Queen Anne Period Early 18th Century Walnut Bureau
Queen Anne Period Early 18th Century Walnut Bureau

Queen Anne Period Early 18th Century Walnut Bureau

Located in Bedfordshire, GB

An Absolutely Stunning Early 18th Century Queen Anne Period Walnut Bureau, Or Writing Desk, In Good Untouched Condition Retaining Wonderful Rich Colour And Patina, Having Superbly Fi...

Category

Early 18th Century English Queen Anne Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Mid-Century Georgian Style Red & Gilt Chinoiserie Secretary Desk
Mid-Century Georgian Style Red & Gilt Chinoiserie Secretary Desk

Mid-Century Georgian Style Red & Gilt Chinoiserie Secretary Desk

Located in Kennesaw, GA

This is a Chinese red Georgian style chinoiserie secretary. It is a mid-century find that is heavily painted with pastoral scenes and go,t accents. It is most likely American and is ...

Category

Mid-20th Century American George III Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Italian Venetian Pink Chinoiserie Secretary Desk Cabinet
Italian Venetian Pink Chinoiserie Secretary Desk Cabinet

Italian Venetian Pink Chinoiserie Secretary Desk Cabinet

Located in LOS ANGELES, CA

Italian Venetian Pink Chinoiserie Secretary Desk Cabinet. It is beautifully hand painted with yellow inside and pink outside. It comes apart in two p...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Chinoiserie Secretaires

Materials

Wood

George III Mahogany Secretary
George III Mahogany Secretary

George III Mahogany Secretary

Located in Laguna Beach, CA

George III mahogany secretary, circa 1800. The pediment with dental moldings, two glass doors with through mullions, a slant top, desk interior with central prospect door flanked by ...

Category

Early 1800s English George III Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Antique Georgian Flame Mahogany Slant Front Secretary Writing Desk Bureau
Antique Georgian Flame Mahogany Slant Front Secretary Writing Desk Bureau

Antique Georgian Flame Mahogany Slant Front Secretary Writing Desk Bureau

Located in Dayton, OH

Exquisite antique early 19th century secretary writing storage desk. Made of flame mahogany featuring Georgian styling with three large dovetailed drawers and a drop front that open...

Category

19th Century American American Colonial Antique Secretaires

Materials

Birdseye Maple, Mahogany

19th Century Venetian Lacquer Painted Secretary Bookcase Desk
19th Century Venetian Lacquer Painted Secretary Bookcase Desk

19th Century Venetian Lacquer Painted Secretary Bookcase Desk

Located in Rio Vista, CA

An elegant and imposing late 19th century two-part Italian secretary bookcase cabinet or desk crafted in the Venetian and Rococo Revival period styles. The piece features a beautiful...

Category

Late 19th Century Italian Rococo Revival Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood, Lacquer, Paint, Glass

Swedish Gustavian Slant-Front Secretary in Original Cream Paint, 19th Century
Swedish Gustavian Slant-Front Secretary in Original Cream Paint, 19th Century

Swedish Gustavian Slant-Front Secretary in Original Cream Paint, 19th Century

Located in Atlanta, GA

A refined Swedish Gustavian slant-front secretary from the early 19th century, presented in a beautifully aged original cream-painted finish with soft green undertones inside. The cl...

Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

English Chippendale Style Painted Goddard Chest Secretary Writing Desk
English Chippendale Style Painted Goddard Chest Secretary Writing Desk

English Chippendale Style Painted Goddard Chest Secretary Writing Desk

Located in Dayton, OH

Antique circa 1930s Goddard chest / writing desk featuring a drop front door that opens to multiple cubbies, three drawers and paw / claw feet. Yellowin...

Category

Early 20th Century American Chippendale Secretaires

Materials

Hardwood, Paint

George II Style Burl Walnut & Oak Slant-Front Diminutive Secretary Bookcase
George II Style Burl Walnut & Oak Slant-Front Diminutive Secretary Bookcase

George II Style Burl Walnut & Oak Slant-Front Diminutive Secretary Bookcase

Located in Bridgeport, CT

A George II style burl walnut and oak slant front secretary bookcase with the upper case featuring a molded crown over a wide frieze, with a large single cabinet door with brass shie...

Category

18th Century George II Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Scandinavian 18th Century Bureau, c.1790
Scandinavian 18th Century Bureau, c.1790

Scandinavian 18th Century Bureau, c.1790

Located in Atlanta, GA

A refined Scandinavian bureau dating to circa 1790, crafted in pine with a beautifully aged painted finish that reflects the understated elegance of late 18th-century Northern Europe...

Category

Late 18th Century Scandinavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Gustavian Secretaire / Bureau 1780 - 1790
Gustavian Secretaire / Bureau 1780 - 1790

Gustavian Secretaire / Bureau 1780 - 1790

Located in Kastrup, DK

Gustavian secrétaire in two parts, crafted in oak with a grey-white finish and a beautiful patina. The piece is constructed in two sections, featuring a classic upper cabinet with d...

Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass, Iron

19th-Century Swedish Painted Secretary in Blue with White Highlights, circa 1830
19th-Century Swedish Painted Secretary in Blue with White Highlights, circa 1830

19th-Century Swedish Painted Secretary in Blue with White Highlights, circa 1830

Located in Atlanta, GA

A refined 19th-century Swedish secretary, beautifully painted in soft blue with subtle white highlights that accentuate its clean lines and understated Scandinavian elegance. The s...

Category

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

19th Century Handcrafted Pine Swedish Writing Bureau with Dragged Paint
19th Century Handcrafted Pine Swedish Writing Bureau with Dragged Paint

19th Century Handcrafted Pine Swedish Writing Bureau with Dragged Paint

Located in Mckinney, TX

Classic Swedish provincial form with a beautifully timeworn presence. This slant-top bureau retains its dry-scraped white paint across the front, revealing soft undertones of earlier...

Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine, Paint

Danish Gustavian Green Secretary Cabinet, 1780s.
Danish Gustavian Green Secretary Cabinet, 1780s.

Danish Gustavian Green Secretary Cabinet, 1780s.

Located in Asaa, DK

Danish Gustavian Green Secretary, 1780s. Extremely rare of the period Gustavian two-part secretaire cabinet made by master carpenter in southern Denmark circa 1780. This genuine an...

Category

Late 18th Century Danish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

Early 19th Century Danish Black Painted Secretary Bureau
Early 19th Century Danish Black Painted Secretary Bureau

Early 19th Century Danish Black Painted Secretary Bureau

Located in Round Top, TX

Late 18th-century Danish bureau or secretary featuring a newer professionally applied black layered painted finish, lightly distressed to reveal natural oak beneath and suit the age ...

Category

Early 19th Century Danish Rococo Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Danish 18th Century Rococo Secretary, c.1760
Danish 18th Century Rococo Secretary, c.1760

Danish 18th Century Rococo Secretary, c.1760

Located in Atlanta, GA

A Danish secretary dating to the 18th century , in the Rococo style. Finished in a soft grey and with a blush grey interior painted surface. The proportions and construction reflect...

Category

18th Century Danish Rococo Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Mid 20th Century, Danis Modern Oak Drop‑Front Secretary Desk / Bureau
Mid 20th Century, Danis Modern Oak Drop‑Front Secretary Desk / Bureau

Mid 20th Century, Danis Modern Oak Drop‑Front Secretary Desk / Bureau

Located in Odense, DK

An elegant mid 20th century Danish oak drop‑front secretary desk / bureau featuring a classic fall‑front writing surface with beautiful, decorative brass handles that enhance its vin...

Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Secretaires

Materials

Brass

French Art Deco Secretary Cabinet by André Arbus
French Art Deco Secretary Cabinet by André Arbus

French Art Deco Secretary Cabinet by André Arbus

By André Arbus

Located in grand Lancy, CH

Andre Arbus Sloping mahogany secreter with two drawers and a drop-leaf door. Sycamore maple interior with six small drawers and a central niche lined with parchment; gilt bronze knob...

Category

1940s French Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Antique Austrian Flame Mahogany Biedermeier Secretary Desk Cabinet Chest 1860
Antique Austrian Flame Mahogany Biedermeier Secretary Desk Cabinet Chest 1860

Antique Austrian Flame Mahogany Biedermeier Secretary Desk Cabinet Chest 1860

Located in Portland, OR

A fine antique Austrian Biedermeier flame mahogany secretary chest, circa 1860. The cabinet having a stepped cornice with circular turned finial brackets at each corner, the top of the cabinet is fitted with a single locking drawer with an oval brass lockplate (key is present). Below is a locking fall front panel (key present) with a wavy edge in relief, the fall when open reveals a fitted interior with a recessed storage area flanked with a pair of ribbed columns and having a central locking door enclosing a single drawer and six drawers to each side with ivory pulls. The fall front has a green baize writing surface, below are a pair of cupboard doors with corresponding wavy recessed panels, to the interior is a single shelf and plenty of useful storage. The cabinet is raised on a plinth base with turned feet and corresponding circular turned finial brackets. Condition is excellent, the cabinet is made from the finest flame mahogany, this very elegant antique biedermeier secretary cabinet...

Category

1860s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

Late 18th-Century Scandinavian Two-Part Secretary, Circa 1790
Late 18th-Century Scandinavian Two-Part Secretary, Circa 1790

Late 18th-Century Scandinavian Two-Part Secretary, Circa 1790

Located in Atlanta, GA

This rare Scandinavian two-part secretary dates to the late 18th century and exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Northern European furniture from the Gustavian era. The upper se...

Category

18th Century Scandinavian Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Glass, Wood

18th Century Swedish Gustavian Writing Bureau in Dry-Scraped Pine
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Writing Bureau in Dry-Scraped Pine

18th Century Swedish Gustavian Writing Bureau in Dry-Scraped Pine

Located in Mckinney, TX

18th-century Swedish bureau crafted in pine with a fixed, writing-height top and original dry-scraped surface. Multiple small drawers over deeper storage below, finished with simple ...

Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine, Paint

French 19th Century Louis Philippe Style Commode with Secretary
French 19th Century Louis Philippe Style Commode with Secretary

French 19th Century Louis Philippe Style Commode with Secretary

Located in Baton Rouge, LA

A gorgeous 19th century French mahogany secretary style desk, designed as a classic Louis Philippe commode incorporating the work surface and storage compartments into the top “drawe...

Category

19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Secretaires

Materials

Marble, Iron

George III Bureau Desk or Secretary Chest from the 18th Century
George III Bureau Desk or Secretary Chest from the 18th Century

George III Bureau Desk or Secretary Chest from the 18th Century

Located in Austin, TX

A fine George III slant top desk or bureau secretary chest of elm, oak and padouk woods, c.1780 - an inlaid slant front drops to reveal a series of small drawers and document compart...

Category

18th Century English George III Antique Secretaires

Materials

Metal, Brass

Antique French Secretaire / Bureau in Mahogany
Antique French Secretaire / Bureau in Mahogany

Antique French Secretaire / Bureau in Mahogany

Located in Leicester, GB

Beautiful Antique French flame Mahogany secretaire/bureau/cabinet. The inside is lined with maple and finished with ebonized black details. The cabinet has got lots of charm and char...

Category

1890s French French Provincial Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

French Empire Secrétaire á Abattant
French Empire Secrétaire á Abattant

French Empire Secrétaire á Abattant

Located in Baton Rouge, LA

A handsome 19th century French Empire secrétaire à abattant made of richly figured, bookmatched walnut. This desk has a black fossil marble top resting above a hidden drawer, free of hardware and opening by a shallow groove on the bottom of the drawer front. Below is a fold-front door revealing a fitted interior with a functional writing surface, inset with worn green leather with gold tooling. The interior has an open storage shelf flanked by Empire style columns over a set of six drawers of varying sizes. The writing surface is supported with rounded brass hinges. Below are three easy to use drawers...

Category

19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires

Materials

Marble, Brass

English Arts and Crafts Secretary Bookcase, ca. 1910s
English Arts and Crafts Secretary Bookcase, ca. 1910s

English Arts and Crafts Secretary Bookcase, ca. 1910s

Located in Meulebeke, BE

An elegant and finely crafted example of early 20th‑century British design, this English Arts and Crafts secretary bookcase from the 1910s. I...

Category

1910s English Arts and Crafts Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Copper

Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Secretaire Desk with Secret Compartment
Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Secretaire Desk with Secret Compartment

Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Secretaire Desk with Secret Compartment

Located in Greven, DE

Antique Berlin Biedermeier secretary in mahogany Berlin Mahogany a.o. around 1825 Dimensions: H x W x D: 169 x 101 x 53 cm Description: When closed, this piece of furniture presen...

Category

1820s German Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany, Maple

George III Double Secretary Bookcase of Mahogany
George III Double Secretary Bookcase of Mahogany

George III Double Secretary Bookcase of Mahogany

Located in Austin, TX

A fine English double secretary bookcase of mahogany from the late Georgian era, c.1780, featuring a crown moulded top with two astragal glazed doors, each side opening to four long ...

Category

Late 18th Century English George III Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass, Metal

18th Century Italian Painted Drop Front Secretaire
18th Century Italian Painted Drop Front Secretaire

18th Century Italian Painted Drop Front Secretaire

Located in Charleston, SC

18th century large Italian charming rustic later painted drop front secretary with multiple cubby holes and drawers above two large base drawers on short tapered legs. circa 1780, It...

Category

18th Century Italian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Iron

Adams Style Mahogany Half Cylinder Secretary Writing Desk Hutch Curio 92"
Adams Style Mahogany Half Cylinder Secretary Writing Desk Hutch Curio 92"

Adams Style Mahogany Half Cylinder Secretary Writing Desk Hutch Curio 92"

Located in Dayton, OH

A very large and impressive vintage Adams style half cylinder secretary desk / hutch featuring a mahogany finish with upper bookcase curio cabinet with fretwork doors supported by a ...

Category

Late 20th Century Adam Style Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

Swedish Gustavian Secretary Desk, Solid Pine, Antique, Circa 1850
Swedish Gustavian Secretary Desk, Solid Pine, Antique, Circa 1850

Swedish Gustavian Secretary Desk, Solid Pine, Antique, Circa 1850

Located in Kramfors, SE

Swedish country secretary desk in gustavian style from around 1850. Beautiful and genuine country furniture made by hand in solid pine in northern Sweden. The piece is made in a clas...

Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

Antique Swedish Country Secretary Desk, Empire Period with Original Faux Paint
Antique Swedish Country Secretary Desk, Empire Period with Original Faux Paint

Antique Swedish Country Secretary Desk, Empire Period with Original Faux Paint

Located in Kramfors, SE

Swedish antique country secretary desk from the empire period. Made in northern Sweden around 1840 with original untouched faux paint, an 19th century painter’s free interpretation o...

Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Empire Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

Iconic vintage dutch design CU07 Cabinet by Cees Braakman for Pastoe
Iconic vintage dutch design CU07 Cabinet by Cees Braakman for Pastoe

Iconic vintage dutch design CU07 Cabinet by Cees Braakman for Pastoe

By Pastoe, Cees Braakman

Located in Meulebeke, BE

The Netherlands / CU07 cabinet / Pastoe / Cees Braakman / metal, teak / Vintage / Mid-century Highboard CU07 designed by the Dutch designer Cees Braakman in 1958 for Pastoe. This mo...

Category

1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Metal

Period Gustavian Slant-Front Desk with Black Exterior and Blue Interior
Period Gustavian Slant-Front Desk with Black Exterior and Blue Interior

Period Gustavian Slant-Front Desk with Black Exterior and Blue Interior

Located in Atlanta, GA

A beautifully proportioned Swedish Gustavian period slant front desk, retaining a wonderfully aged black-painted exterior and opening to reveal a striking powder blue interior. The c...

Category

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

19th Century Louis XVI Style Secretaire a Abattant
19th Century Louis XVI Style Secretaire a Abattant

19th Century Louis XVI Style Secretaire a Abattant

Located in Winter Park, FL

A late 19th century French Louis XVI style secrétaire à abattant, or drop front secretary desk, made with inlaid veneers of mahogany and various exotic woods. Original cast bronze ha...

Category

19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Antique Gentleman's Bureau, English, Walnut, Writing Desk, Secretaire, Georgian
Antique Gentleman's Bureau, English, Walnut, Writing Desk, Secretaire, Georgian

Antique Gentleman's Bureau, English, Walnut, Writing Desk, Secretaire, Georgian

Located in Hele, Devon, GB

This is an antique gentleman's bureau. A fine English, walnut writing desk or secretaire, dating to the Georgian period, circa 1760. Wonderful Georgian example, with a delightful v...

Category

Mid-18th Century British Georgian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Antique German Biedermeier Secretaire, Cherrywood & Burlwood, c. 1820
Antique German Biedermeier Secretaire, Cherrywood & Burlwood, c. 1820

Antique German Biedermeier Secretaire, Cherrywood & Burlwood, c. 1820

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

A 19th Century, antique German Biedermeier tall secretaire with a writing flap made of hand crafted shellac polished, partly veneered Cherrywood and Burlwood, in good condition. The ...

Category

Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Metal, Brass

Pyramid Secretary, Southwestern Germany, 1835
Pyramid Secretary, Southwestern Germany, 1835

Pyramid Secretary, Southwestern Germany, 1835

Located in New York, NY

Biedermeier secretary with pyramidal case. The piece rests on plinth legs and features three drawers of varying heights in the lower section. The flat writing flap is decorated with ...

Category

Early 19th Century Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Maple

Danish Modern, Unique Handcrafted Oak Secretary Cabinet, Mid 20th Century
Danish Modern, Unique Handcrafted Oak Secretary Cabinet, Mid 20th Century

Danish Modern, Unique Handcrafted Oak Secretary Cabinet, Mid 20th Century

Located in Odense, DK

An elegant rare Danish oak secretary cabinet in Baroque style, crafted in the 1930s by a skilled Danish Cabinetmaker. The piece features a drop-front writing surface that opens to re...

Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Baroque Secretaires

Materials

Oak

Mid-Century Italian Venetian Hand Painted Chinoiserie Secretary Desk
Mid-Century Italian Venetian Hand Painted Chinoiserie Secretary Desk

Mid-Century Italian Venetian Hand Painted Chinoiserie Secretary Desk

Located in Kennesaw, GA

This is a beautiful piece. This is a lovely mid-century Italian chinoiserie secretary desk. The coral and gilt interior makes such a vibrant statement. Each panel of the serpentine f...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Chinoiserie Secretaires

Materials

Poplar

Antique English Fall Front Secretary Desk in Oak
Antique English Fall Front Secretary Desk in Oak

Antique English Fall Front Secretary Desk in Oak

Located in Meer, VAN

Antique Fall Front Secretary Desk in solid oak, England, late 18th to early 19th Century. This is a wonderful English antique fall front secretary desk in solid oak with brass fitti...

Category

Early 19th Century British George III Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

19th Century Fine Biedermeier Walnut Secretaire. Vienna, c. 1825
19th Century Fine Biedermeier Walnut Secretaire. Vienna, c. 1825

19th Century Fine Biedermeier Walnut Secretaire. Vienna, c. 1825

Located in Vienna, AT

Exceptional and Rare Viennese Biedermeier Secretaire – Vienna, circa 1825 A Masterpiece of Design, Craftsmanship, and Timeless Elegance We are proud to present this elegant and rare...

Category

Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

18th Century Dutch Burr Walnut Floral Marquetry Bureau
18th Century Dutch Burr Walnut Floral Marquetry Bureau

18th Century Dutch Burr Walnut Floral Marquetry Bureau

Located in London, GB

This is a wonderful antique late 18th century Dutch burr walnut and marquetry bombe' bureau. It has been accomplished in burr walnut, with exquisite hand cut floral marquetry typica...

Category

1780s Dutch Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Antique Georgian Mahogany Bookcase Secretary Collectors Doctors Cabinet 1790
Antique Georgian Mahogany Bookcase Secretary Collectors Doctors Cabinet 1790

Antique Georgian Mahogany Bookcase Secretary Collectors Doctors Cabinet 1790

Located in Portland, OR

A very rare antique George III English Mahogany secretary bookcase, with a fitted collector's or doctor's cabinet to the base, circa 1790. The bookcase in two sections; the top section with a flared cornice with a frieze of dentil molding below, the bookcase with twin glazed doors with intersecting curvilenear astragals, the doors enclosing a pair of adjustable shelves. The base having a deep drawer with a locking fall front desk, fitted with a tooled & gilded leather writing surface, and a fitted interior with pigeonholes with removable doors and drawers each fitted with an oval gilded name label. Below are a pair of locking doors enclosing an elaborately fitted interior; comprising one long shallow tray shaped drawer above a host of 13 drawers of various sizes, all with the original brass hardware and corresponding oval gilded name tag, to the left side is a file space. The secretary bookcase is raised on bracket feet with a shaped skirt, it is made from the finest figured Cuban mahogany, all original finish and hardware. Georgian bookcase secretaries...

Category

1790s English Georgian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

19th Century Swedish Mahogany Chiffonje, Writing Agency - Cabinet by Karl Johan
19th Century Swedish Mahogany Chiffonje, Writing Agency - Cabinet by Karl Johan

19th Century Swedish Mahogany Chiffonje, Writing Agency - Cabinet by Karl Johan

By Karl Johan

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

A 19th Century, antique Swedish Biedermeier writing agency, secretary table made of hand crafted polished, partly veneered Mahogany with a writing flap, designed by Karl-Johan in goo...

Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Metal, Brass

European two-part vitrine cabinet with fine carvings, circa 1790
European two-part vitrine cabinet with fine carvings, circa 1790

European two-part vitrine cabinet with fine carvings, circa 1790

Located in Atlanta, GA

An elegant European two-part vitrine cabinet dating to circa 1790, distinguished by its refined proportions and finely carved architectural details. The upper section features two gl...

Category

18th Century Antique Secretaires

Materials

Glass, Wood

Antique, New and Vintage Secretaires

Your antique, new or vintage secretary desk has become the (chic) saving grace of the "new normal" at home.

Simply put, a secretary desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture with a hinged writing surface that folds open or drops down. When the leaf is folded out, small inner storage compartments — pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers — are revealed.

Traditionally, a secretary is composed of two parts — a chest of drawers on the bottom and a cabinet with shelves on the top. Taking its name from the French word for the piece, secrétaire, the secretary desk dates back to the 18th century, when Paris-based cabinetmaker Jean-François Oeben, known for his exquisite marquetry and clever mechanical desks, is thought to have invented the secrétaire à abbattant, or drop-leaf desk.

While the defining drop-down feature of the secretary desk has remained constant, the materials used, as well as its configuration, size and style have evolved over time.

At first, secretaries were typically made from exotic woods, like rosewood, tulipwood and kingwood; later, hardwoods like cherry, maple, oak and mahogany were more common. The desks also became lighter, with space carved out of the lower half for the writer’s feet or with drawers replaced by legs — making them more table-like.

When open, the secretary is a dynamic, versatile Wunderkammer. When closed, it’s a sophisticated, space-saving piece of furniture.

“A fine secretary with a good provenance adds stature and credence to its owner — it is a cornerstone piece,” says antiques dealer Stanley Weiss, who specializes in 18th- and 19th-century English and American furniture. “In this disposable world, fine furniture is always passed on and speaks to who its owner is.”

No matter what style or period you choose, and no matter how you decide to use it, the timeless, flexible secretary desk is bound to become an indispensable part of your daily routine.

Browse a range of antique and vintage secretary desks on 1stDibs, including mid-century modern secretaires, Georgian secretaires and others.