$25,267Sale Price|20% Off
H 71.66 in W 46.46 in D 24.81 in
18th Century Baroque Walnut Tabernacle Secretaire with Marquetry, circa 1750
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Exceptional Baroque tabernacle secretaire from the 18th century, circa 1750. The piece is divided
Brass
$6,995
H 78 in W 55 in D 27 in
Antique Austrian Baroque Biedermeier Marquetry Roll Top Tabernacle Cabinet Desk
Located in Portland, OR
A rare & unusual antique Bohemian inlaid marquetry Elm tabernacle cabinet and desk, Austria, circa
Elm, Fruitwood, Ebony
Unavailable
H 79.93 in W 47.25 in D 26.38 in
Original Baroque Tabernacle/Secretaire, South-Germany 18th Century, 1730
Located in Handewitt, DE
Beautiful original baroque tabernacle/secretaire. Fine walnut veneer and marquetry in ebony
Bronze
Tabernacle Baroque Secretary; 1870, Germany
Located in Homburg, DE
Tabernacle Baroque secretary - circa 1870 South Germany - Nutwood veneered on oakwood - Very
Brass, Bronze
Baroque Tabernacle Secretaire, Mid-18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Baroque Tabernacle Secretaire in three parts, boasting a three-drawer lower chest set on graceful
Walnut
Baroque Secretaire, Central Germany 18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Baroque Tabernacle Secretaire on grooved ball feet with a three-drawered commode bottom part with
Walnut
Sold
H 80.32 in W 51.97 in D 30.71 in
Baroque Walnut Veneered Tabernacle Secretaire, German, 18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Large Baroque secretaire with a three-drawer chest of drawers in curved form with a wavy skirt. The
Walnut
Sold
H 76.38 in W 51.97 in L 76.38 in
Baroque Walnut Veneered Tabernacle Secretaire, German, 18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Large Baroque secretaire with a three-drawer chest of drawers in curved form with a wavy skirt. The
Walnut
18th Century Baroque Tabernacle Secretary Desk from Austria
Located in Darmstadt, DE
The tabernacle secretary desk stands on low round feet and is richly decorated with noble wood
Birdseye Maple, Mahogany, Walnut
Sold
H 75.6 in W 52.37 in D 29.53 in
18th Century Baroque Secretary, Tabernacle, Walnut, Plum, Maple, Austria c. 1750
Located in Greven, DE
Baroque tabernacle secretary with figural marquetry Austria Walnut, plum, maple Baroque around
Maple, Walnut
Sold
H 68.9 in W 50.79 in D 24.81 in
18th Century Southern German Baroque Tabernacle Secretary, Louis XV, c. 1750
Located in Greven, DE
Baroque tabernacle secretary in walnut with strapwork. Upper Bavaria Walnut Baroque around
Fruitwood, Walnut
18th Century Baroque Secrétaire, Austria, circa 1770
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Sensational 18th Century Baroque Secrétaire or Tabernacle made in Austria around 1770. Fine kinds
Brass
$7,018Sale Price|20% Off
H 62.21 in W 44.1 in D 23.23 in
19th-Century Biedermeier Mahogany Secretary Desk in Beautiful Graining
Located in Opole, PL
19th-Century Biedermeier Mahogany Secretary Desk in Beautiful Graining We present you this piece of furniture with three drawers at the bottom, a drop front, and a narrow drawer und...
Baize, Mahogany
French 18th Century Louis XV Painted & Gilt Queen Bed
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A quality Louis XV Period carved and gold gilt queen bed frame. The four piece frame has classic carvings of Rococo influenced Louis XV style with flamboyant carvings and gold gilt c...
Gold
$228,108Sale Price|33% Off
H 51.19 in W 55.12 in D 201.58 in
Rare Victorian Firescreen with Taxidermy Hummingbirds by Henry Ward
By Henry Ward
Located in Amsterdam, NL
England, third quarter of the 19th century On two scrolling foliate feet with casters, above which a rectangular two-side glazed frame, with on top a two-sided shield with initial...
Other
Quality Victorian Antique Carved Mahogany Dressing Table
Located in Suffolk, GB
Quality Victorian antique carved mahogany dressing table having an attractive shaped upper section, tilting mirror with elegantly scrolled carved supports. It has three small attract...
Other
$4,160Sale Price|20% Off
H 71.25 in W 80.25 in D 3 in
Antique Polychrome Baroque Gilt Venetian-Style Carved Wood King Headboard
Located in North Fort Myers, FL
This exquisite antique Venetian-style king bed is a true showstopper, featuring an intricately hand-carved and gilded frame with a soft, distressed celadon green finish. The elaborat...
Wood
$14,622
H 46.46 in W 45.67 in D 24.41 in
Late 18th Century German Louis XVI Secretary, Walnut, Marquetry, Cylinder Desk
Located in Greven, DE
Louis XVI cylinder desk with marquetry Germany (Westphalia) Walnut etc. Classicism around 1795 Dimensions: H x W x D: 118 x 116 x 62 cm Description: Beautiful writing fur...
Maple, Oak, Walnut
$187,500
H 102 in W 84.5 in D 22.5 in
Exceptional 19th Century English Chinoiserie Pagoda Display Cabinet
Located in Houston, TX
Large-scale 19th century English display cabinet executed in the Chinoiserie tradition. Constructed in carved mahogany and conceived as a tripartite architectural façade, each glazed...
Glass, Mahogany
$10,500
H 47 in W 87 in D 31 in
18th Century French Louis XV Carved Giltwood Canapé with Aubusson Tapestry
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a living room, grand entryway, or salon with this exceptional antique Louis XV sofa from the annexes of the Château de Versailles. Crafted in France circa 1760, the hand-car...
Tapestry, Giltwood
$5,848
H 46.07 in W 24.02 in D 51.19 in
Chest of Drawers / Secretary in Dutch Style Marquetry Holland Design
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Chest of drawers in Dutch style from the beginning of the century. Entirely inlaid with floral decoration, with brass handles and a lion paw shaped base. The upper part consists of...
Wood
$337,543
H 100.6 in W 66.93 in D 24.81 in
Rare Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim & Pauly Cie Et Venice Antique Carved Armoire
By Guggenheim Museum, Pauly et Cie
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this very rare one of a kind Pauly CIE Et stamped hand carved walnut armoire made by the genius that was Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim 1837-1910 W...
Walnut
$12,000Sale Price|20% Off
H 63.39 in W 38.19 in D 21.66 in
Biedermeier Secretary Desk, South German, 1820
Located in Belmont, MA
Biedermeier secretary desk, South German 1820. This unique and very beautiful secretary desk dates back to the early phase of the Biedermeier style. It has a beautiful walnut veneer ...
Elm, Walnut
$70,187 / set
H 35.2 in W 49.22 in D 23.63 in
Pair of neoclassical Italian chests of drawers in inlaid wood, XVIII century
Located in Vicenza, IT
This exceptional pair of Italian neoclassical 18th century dressers in wood richly inlaid on the front, sides and 4 truncated pyramid legs are top-quality example of Italian 18th cen...
Marble, Bronze
Italian Venetian Grotto Seashell Settee
By Pauly et Cie
Located in Queens, NY
Italian Venetian Grotto (19th cent.) silver gilt settee with triple seashell seat and dolphin & seahorse motif (att: Pauly et Cie, Venice)
Silver Leaf
$47,500 / set
H 51.25 in W 78.5 in D 38 in
Louis XV Style Giltwood Carved Five-Piece Salon Suite, Circa 1880
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine and palatial French 19th century Louis XV style giltwood carved five-piece salon suite, comprising of a canapé (Settee) and four fauteuils à la reine (Armchairs), all of ...
Fabric, Wood
Antique Inlaid Moroccan Tall Chest
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive antique Moroccan tall chest handcrafted in walnut featuring a custom glass top with a scalloped front and matching top drawer over four flat front drawers below having blu...
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Hardwood
$25,183
H 94.49 in W 53.55 in D 25.99 in
Antique Walnut Dutch Marquetry Bureau Cabinet Bookcase 18th Century
Located in London, GB
This is an important antique Dutch walnut and marquetry bureau bookcase, circa 1780 in date. It has been made from the finest burr walnut with fabulous marquetry decoration depicti...
Walnut
The decadence of the Baroque style, in which ornate furnishings were layered against paneled walls, painted ceilings, stately chandeliers and, above all, gilding, expressed the power of the church and monarchy through design that celebrated excess. And its influence was omnipresent — antique Baroque furniture was created in the first design style that truly had a global impact.
Theatrical and lavish, Baroque was prevalent across Europe from the 17th to mid-18th century and spread around the world through colonialism, including in Asia, Africa and the Americas. While Baroque originated in Italy and achieved some of its most fantastic forms in the late-period Roman Baroque, it was adapted to meet the tastes and materials in each region. French Baroque furniture informed Louis XIV style and added drama to Versailles. In Spain, the Baroque movement influenced the elaborate Churrigueresque style in which architecture was dripping with ornamental details. In South German Baroque, furniture was made with bold geometric patterns.
Compared to Renaissance furniture, which was more subdued in its proportions, Baroque furniture was extravagant in all aspects, from its shape to its materials.
Allegorical and mythical figures were often sculpted in the wood, along with motifs like scrolling floral forms and acanthus leaves that gave the impression of tangles of dense foliage. Novel techniques and materials such as marquetry, gesso and lacquer — which were used with exotic woods and were employed by cabinetmakers such as André-Charles Boulle, Gerrit Jensen and James Moore — reflected the growth of international trade. Baroque furniture characteristics include a range of decorative elements — a single furnishing could feature everything from carved gilded wood to gilt bronze, lending chairs, mirrors, console tables and other pieces a sense of motion.
Find a collection of authentic antique Baroque tables, lighting, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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.