Antique Biedermeier Secretaire Chest Secretaire Abattant 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A truly magnificent antique flame mahogany architectural biedermeier secretaire abattant, circa 1840 in date.
Mahogany
Austro-Hungarian Secrétaire à Abattant
Located in Woodbury, CT
Wearing a layer of Austrian walnut root veneer, this secrétaire has a unique grain that one does not often see; it swirls and undulates across the surface drawing the eye along in a ...
Walnut, Burl
19th Century Empire Drop-Front Oak Secretary Desk or Abattant, Chest France
Located in Miami, FL
Secretaire a abattant, France circa 1820, Biedermeier period.
Bronze
19th Century Empire Drop-Front Oak Secretary Desk or Abattant, Chest France
Located in Miami, FL
Secretaire a abattant, France circa 1820, Biedermeier period.
Bronze
19th Century Empire Drop-Front Oak Secretary Desk or Abattant, Chest France
Located in Miami, FL
Secretaire a abattant, France circa 1820, Biedermeier period.
Bronze
19th Century Empire Drop-Front Oak Secretary Desk or Abattant, Chest France
Located in Miami, FL
Secretaire a abattant, France circa 1820, Biedermeier period.
Bronze
$3,440Sale Price|20% Off
20th Century French Drop-Front Oak Secretary Desk or Abattant
Located in Miami, FL
Secretaire a abattant, Spain circa 1900. The outside with fall front and one high drawer and one low door with compartment, beautiful marquetry oakwood . The wood inside opens to a c...
Oak
19th Century Biedermeier Secretaire Abattant
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
19th century Biedermeier Secretaire Abattant. Has original leather writing surface and appears to have a new top.
Antique Biedermeier Secretaire a Abattant
Located in New York, NY
Antique Biedermeier Secretaire a Abattant Original Hardware and Escutcheons, Ebonized Black Accents Interior Drawers and Hidden Storage Lower Part has Two Doors with One Shelf
Biedermeier Yew Wood Secretaire Abattant
Located in Midlothian, VA
Fine Biedermeier Yew Wood Secretaire with Ebonized String Inlay, Ebonized Half Column Front and Finished Interior
Yew
19th Century, Early Biedermeier Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Wels, AT
Early Austrian Biedermeier Secretaire a abattant bearl Wood veneered, with carved, polychrome painted and gilded caryatides The Secretaire have two lower doors with two drawers inside.
Biedermeier Secretaire Abattant
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Biedermeier feathered birch secretaire abattant with bone escutcheons and finely inlaid interior, circa 1840.
Birch, Bone
Biedermeier Secretaire a abattant
Located in New York, NY
This formal secretary is comprised of an upper section with multiple interior drawers and original ebonized pulls with mother of pearl inlay. The locking central door features an in...
19th c. Biedermeier Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Oakland, CA
The tall figured walnut cabinet with chamfered corners and classical architectural details, features a frieze drawer above a fall-front writing surface which opens to reveal an arran...
Wood
Finely Inlaid Biedermeier Birch Secretaire à Abattant
Located in New York, NY
With beautifully figured bookmatched veneers; the shaped cornice over a frieze drawer and fall front inclosing an arrangement of drawers around a prospect door, all with walnut bandi...
Birch
Biedermier Secretaire Abattant
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Biedermeier inlaid secretaire abattant with a stepped architectural interior, 19th century.
Wood
Burled Walnut & Bone Biedermeier Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Chicago, IL
Biedermeier fourteen drawer secretary constructed of solid woods and beautiful burled walnut veneers. Escutcheons/keyholes are made of bone. With front in horizontal position, birdse...
Walnut, Pine, Bone
Biedermeier Burled Walnut & Bone Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Chicago, IL
Exceptionally crafted and still in wonderful condition, this Biedermeier secretary is constructed of solid woods and beautiful burled walnut veneers. Escutcheons/keyholes are made of...
Walnut, Pine
19th Century Biedermeier Abattant Secretary
Located in Denton, TX
Biedermeier abattant secretary in figured birch.
Wood
Sold
H 66 in W 38 in D 18 in
Antique English Burl Wood Biedermeier Abattant, Drop Front Secretary Desk 19th C
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique English Biedermeier Abattant secretary features burl wood construction with frieze drawer surmounting drop front secretary opening to reveal writing surface and interior s...
Satinwood, Burl
Sold
H 57.87 in W 37 in D 17.32 in
18th Century Catalan Drop-Front Oak Secretary Desk or Abattant, Spain
Located in Miami, FL
Secretaire a abattant, Spain circa 1790, Biedermeier period.
Oak
Sold
H 69.68 in W 39.37 in D 20.27 in
19th Century Empire Drop-Front Oak Secretary Desk or Abattant, Chest France
Located in Miami, FL
Secretaire a abattant, France circa 1820, Biedermeier period.
Period Austrian Biedermeier Neoclassical Secretary
Located in Essex, MA
Period Austrian Biedermeier Fallfront Secretary or Secretaire Abattant --Mahogany and Ebony --Fitted Interior --Neoclassical Panel in Front
Mahogany
19th Century Biedermeier Fall Front Secretary/Chest
Located in Water Mill, NY
19th century Swedish Biedermeier secretaire a abattant, birch desk/chest with three drawers and key in great condition.
Birch
Sold
H 54.75 in W 42 in D 22 in
Antique Swedish Golden Birch Ebony Biedermeier Fall Front Desk Secretary Chest
Located in Portland, OR
A fine and elegant antique first period Biedermeier golden birch & ebony secretaire abattant, circa 1820.
Birch, Ebony
Secretaire a' Abattant
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century mahogany Biedermeier Secretaire a' Abattant
Johnson Bros, Satinwood Marquetry & Bronze Secrétaire à Abattant, c1910
By Johnson Brothers
Located in Big Flats, NY
Intricately inlaid Johnson Bros. French Biedermeier style Secrétaire à Abattant (fall front desk) features mahogany construction with fine satinwood marquetry throughout and bronze a...
Bronze
Sold
H 75 in W 41.75 in D 20.75 in
Biedermeier Style Burled Birchwood Secretary Desk by Colombo Mobili
By Colombo Mobili
Located in Shippensburg, PA
BIEDERMEIER STYLE BURLED BIRCHWOOD SECRETARY DESK Executed by Colombo Mobili, ca. 21st century Item # 312SBP08Q A truly remarkable Biedermeier style secretaire a'abattant desk from ...
Brass
Biedermeier-Style Burl Wood Fall Front Secretary
Located in Sheffield, MA
This vintage Biedermeier secretaire abattant has great storage space with five drawers on the outside and another five drawers inside above the red-leather-tooled-in-gold writing boa...
Brass
Early 19th Century Biedermeier Fruitwood Secretaire a Abattant
Located in New York, NY
The attractively figured golden fruit with contrasting ebonized detailing throughout; the upper part with arched paneled doors flanked by carved giltwood Classical male caryatids ope...
Fruitwood
Sold
H 50.25 in W 42 in D 21.25 in
Antique Austrian Biedermeier Flame Mahogany Secretary Abattant Desk Chest 1870
Located in Portland, OR
A fine & elegant antique Austrian flame mahogany Biedermeier secretary chest desk, circa 1870. The chest having a stepped top with a fall front locking secretary desk below, the tall...
Mahogany
Sold
H 75 in W 43.25 in D 24.25 in L 75 in
Vintage Biedermeier Birdseye Maple Ebonized Drop Front Secretaire Secretary Desk
Located in Dayton, OH
An absolutely stunning late 20th-century Art Deco style reproduction of a classic early 19th-century German Biedermeier secretaire à abattant (fall-front desk).
Brass
Sold
H 51.97 in W 24.41 in D 10.04 in
19th Century French Drop-Front Marquetry Oak Secretary Desk or Abattant
Located in Miami, FL
Secretaire a abattant, Spain circa 1900. The outside with fall front and one low door with compartment, beautiful marquetry oakwood. The wood inside opens to a central compartment fl...
Oak
Sold
H 75 in W 41.75 in D 20.75 in
Biedermeier Style Burled Birchwood Secretary Desk by Colombo Mobili
By Colombo Mobili
Located in Shippensburg, PA
BIEDERMEIER STYLE BURLED BIRCHWOOD SECRETARY DESK Executed by Colombo Mobili, ca. 21st century Item # 411OBP20A A truly remarkable Biedermeier style secretaire a'abattant desk from ...
Brass
Sold
H 52.5 in W 36 in D 19 in
Antique Burled Walnut Locking Biedermeier Secretaire, Three-Drawer, 19th Century
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Biedermeier burl walnut secretaire a' abattant (fall front secretary) features bookmatched central reserve with drop front opening to reveal writing surface and interior stor...
Walnut
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.