Louis XVI drop-leaf secretary desk in rosewood and violet wood veneer, 18th cent
Located in Honnelles, WHT
Louis XVI drop-leaf secretary desk in rosewood and violet wood veneer, 18th century
Wood
Louis XV period marquetry secretary from the mid-18th century
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
A very elegant and rare Louis XV period drop-leaf secretary desk, characteristic of Rococo furniture with its sinuous silhouette and refined proportions.
Marble, Bronze
$72,000Sale Price|20% Off
19th C. Royal Antique Burl Wood Secretary Desk & Black Leather Drop Leaf Top
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Royal Antique Burl Wood Secretary Desk & Black Leather Drop Leaf Top HRH .
Bronze
$1,800Sale Price|62% Off
Late 19th Century Italian Walnut Burl Inlaid Louis XIV Secretary Drop Leaf Desk
Located in Encinitas, CA
Late 19th Century Italian Walnut Burl Inlaid Louis XIV Secretary Drop Leaf Desk. Trim three-drawer bureau chest featuring secretary drop lid with lock and key revealing small drawers...
Walnut
18th century Italian Secretary
Located in Atlanta, GA
Painted and gilded Italian Secretary, drop leaf desk over 3 drawers with 2door upper cabinet
Louis XV Painted Drop Leaf Secretary Desk
Located in New York, NY
Absolutely breathtaking, this Louis XV drop leaf secretary has gorgeous carvings and original bronze hardware. Cabriole legs and working original keys. Painted in a a gorgeous Fren...
19th Century Swiss Drop-Leaf Secretary Desk and Chest
Located in New York, NY
This 19th Century Swiss case piece is comprised of a drop-leaf desktop and a chest of drawers. They are a combination of cherry and pine wood. The brass hardware is original and incl...
Brass
Swedish Style Painted Drop Leaf Secretary or Desk
Located in New York, NY
Antique painted, drop leaf petite secretary or desk with just the perfect patina.
Sold
H 54.75 in W 31.38 in D 15 in
18th Century French Louis XVI Flame Mahogany Secretary or Drop Leaf Desk
Located in Miami, FL
A fine late 18th century French Louis XVI Secretary or drop leaf desk made of beautiful flame mahogany.
Brass
French Faux Bamboo Secretaire
Located in Stamford, CT
Chest of Drawers with drop down front and marble top. Four drawers and drop-leaf secretary desk.
Faux Bamboo
Traditional Secretary Desk with Brass Hardware
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Traditional drop-leaf mahogany secretary desk with three large drawers.
Sold
H 59.75 in W 32.75 in D 20.5 in
French, Faux Bamboo Secretaire Chest of Drawers with Drop Down Desk
Located in Bridport, CT
Four drawers and a drop leaf secretary desk with leather top and additional storage drawers.
Wood
Antique Pine Drop-Leaf Secretary or Desk
Located in Pau, FR
Antique pine drop-leaf secretary or desk. The secretary features plenty of compartments and small drawers, as well as one large drawer with brass pulls.
Brass
$4,500
H 30.75 in W 50.5 in D 28 in
Vintage Italian Walnut Burl Louis XV Bombay Style Serpentine Writing Desk VGC
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Hand-made in Italy, circa 1950s or 60s, this gorgeous 5-drawer Louis XV or Bombay style desk in Italian walnut burl with antiqued brass hardware. This desk has been in my collections...
Brass
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
H 73 in W 35.25 in D 19.25 in
Burl & Carved Walnut Slant Front Marquetry Secretary Desk c1900
Located in Big Flats, NY
This exquisite antique secretary desk, crafted circa 1900, showcases a sophisticated combination of burl walnut and carved walnut construction. The piece features a distinctive slant...
Walnut
Venetian Louis XV Walnut Bureau Secretaire
Located in Vo', Veneto
Shaped Venetian Bureau Secretaire in Walnut Wood Type: Walnut and walnut burl Period: Mid 1700s Origin: Venice - Veneto Dimensions: Centimeters Height: 114 cm Width: 120 cm Depth: ...
Nutwood
Victorian Walnut & Burl Roll Top Secretary Desk C1880
Located in Big Flats, NY
This antique Victorian secretary desk, crafted around 1880, features a sophisticated design in walnut and burl wood. The upper section presents a bookcase with two glass-paned doors,...
Walnut
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...
Mahogany
$4,661Sale Price|30% Off
H 57.09 in W 36.23 in D 14.97 in
French Louis XVI Secretaire Abattant / Secretary desk, circa 1800
Located in Lucenec, SK
The secrétaire à abbatant or fall front desk is nearly identical to the desk 5th President James Monroe brought back from France in 1797. These desks are elegant examples of the popu...
Brass
$2,264Sale Price|20% Off
H 76.5 in W 18 in D 25 in
c1900 French Antique Louis XVI Style Burl Wood Secretary/ Desk - Petite Size
Located in Opa Locka, FL
c1900 French Antique Louis XVI style Petite Secretary/ Desk. Louis XVI style and made from Exotic Burl Wood. Upper cabinet book storage/ display. Drawer storage below.
Burl
Antique Quality French Louis XV Style Marquetry Side Cabinet
Located in Suffolk, GB
A fine antique quality French Louis XV style side cabinet beautifully crafted in kingwood and tulipwood veneers with exquisite floral marquetry and gilt-bronze (ormolu) mounts. The ...
Kingwood, Tulipwood
$5,500
H 50 in W 26 in D 14 in
Fine Antique French Louis XV Marquetry Rosewood Ormolu Secretaire Abattant 1880
Located in Portland, OR
A very fine quality antique French Louis XV rosewood, marquetry, ormolu and marble topped secretaire abattant, circa 1880. The serpentine shaped secretary is modeled as a semainier (...
Marble, Ormolu
$960Sale Price|20% Off
H 40.75 in W 44.5 in D 19.75 in
Antique Walnut & Burl Drop Front Desk With Teardrop Pulls c1880
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Walnut & Burl Drop Front Desk With Teardrop Pulls C1890 Measures - 40 5/8" x 44 3/8" x 19 3/4" This antique desk, dating to circa 1890, showcases a combination of walnut an...
Walnut
Roll Top Secretary Desk, French Walnut with Marquetry Inlay
Located in Toronto, CA
Elegant Edwardian Cylinder Roll Top Secretary Desk, French Walnut with Marquetry & Parquetry Inlay– English Craftsmanship Step back in time with this exquisite Edwardian cylinde...
Hardwood
Antique Mahogany Davenport Desk by Gillows of Lancaster
By Gillows of Lancaster & London
Located in King's Lynn, GB
An antique solid mahogany Davenport desk, dating to circa 1820–1835, spanning the late Regency and early William IV periods, by Gillows of Lancaster, stamped “Gillows • Lancaster” to...
Leather, Mahogany
Victorian Mahogany Fall Front Secretaire Desk, Antique, 1890
Located in Leicester, GB
This is a wonderful English antique fall front secretary desk with Mahogany finish. The secretaire is elegantly designed with beautiful sculpted feet. Beautiful colour and patina to ...
Mahogany, Pine
$8,000
H 34.5 in W 21.25 in D 22 in
English Burl Walnut Leather Top Davenport with Acanthus Cabriole Legs Circa 1840
Located in Charleston, SC
English burl walnut Davenport desk with carved floral fret work, hinged lid revealing fitted interior with original ink wells, leather hinged writing surface with four fitted interio...
Brass
$5,450
H 54.93 in W 38 in D 16.15 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. The outside with fall front and two drawers flanked by two ebonized columns shows a beautiful oak veneer design. The woo...
Bronze
$2,147Sale Price|50% Off
H 52.37 in W 17.72 in D 15.75 in
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Mahogany Inlaid Ladies Desk with Vitrine
Located in Sofia, BG
This is a beautiful French antique mahogany inlaid ladies writing desk, circa 1870 in date. The fall front opens to reveal an interior of writing surface, and bank of two drawers. Th...
Mahogany
$55,116
H 76.78 in W 43.31 in D 21.66 in
Modern Penedo Quartz Display Cabinet, Handmade in Poerugal by Greenapple
By GF Modern, Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Mid-Century Modern Penedo Quartz Display Cabinet, Handmade in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple The Penedo quartz display cabinet captures the enduring beauty of nature’s landscapes,...
Onyx, Carrara Marble, Granite, Brass
$172,239
H 45.28 in W 56.3 in D 17.33 in
Italian Art Deco Bar Cabinet in Parchment with Inlays Signed by Anzani, 1930s
By Giuseppe Anzani
Located in Meda, MB
This bar cabinet was produced in Italy, in the late 1930s and is a really unique and special piece. Its tremendous historical and artistic value is what makes this item a real piece...
Glass, Mirror, Wood, Maple, Walnut, Parchment Paper
19th Century Biedermeier Column Secretary
Located in Berlin, DE
Cuba mahogany on pine tree. Architecturally arranged front. High-right body on padfoot feet. Fitted with three drawers of different sizes, the base drawer is curved. Straight writing...
Mahogany, Wood
$1,995
H 58 in W 29.75 in D 15 in
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Style Mahogany Vitrine, Bookcase, Marble Top
Located in Fayetteville, AR
Standing at 58 inches in height, this small scale late nineteenth century Louis XVI style mahogany vitrine or bookcase is finished with stunning bronze banding and a red marble top w...
Marble, Bronze
$6,895
H 44 in W 47 in D 23 in
George III Bureau Desk or Secretary Chest of Mahogany from the 18th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A fine George III slant top desk or bureau secretary chest of patinated mahogany, c.1770 - an inlaid slant front drops to reveal a series of small drawers and document compartments, ...
Metal, Brass
$42,500
H 101 in W 164.5 in D 27 in
Antique English Break-Front Bibliotheque Bookcase in Mahogany, circa 1870
By S.E. & R. Johnson. Warrington
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
A handsome and very well crafted English break-front bookcase or bibliotheque in solid mahogany by S.E. & R. Johnson of Warrington, England, circa 1870. Features six doors with glass...
Mahogany
$3,220
H 57 in W 37.5 in D 18.5 in
19th Century French Empire Abattant Secretary Desk in Flame Mahogany Drop Down
Located in Atlanta, GA
This French Empire Abattant Secretary Desk from the late 19th century is a striking piece of furniture, crafted from flame mahogany. The abattant (drop-front) design allows for a con...
Wood, Mahogany
19th Century French Walnut Louis XVI Desk
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Beautiful 19th Century French Walnut Louis XVI Desk with immaculate new embossed leather writing surface. French Louis XVI bureau plat table desk with five spacious drawers and lovel...
Brass
$8,611
H 75.2 in W 49.61 in D 25.2 in
Biedermeier Chest, Secretary or Cabinet, Walnut, Southern Germany, circa 1830
Located in Greven, DE
Biedermeier chest of drawers with writing drawer and raised compartment Southern Germany Walnut, birch Biedermeier around 1830 Dimensions: H x W x D: 191 x 126 x 64 cm Description...
Walnut
$6,889Sale 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
$28,800 / set
H 38 in W 50.75 in D 22.75 in
Pair of Italian 18th Century Walnut Four-Drawer Commodes with Bookmatched Veneer
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of Italian 18th century walnut commodes with bookmatched veneer, four drawers and petite carved feet. Immerse yourself in the historical grandeur of this pair of Italian 18th-...
Brass
Antique Walnut Slant Front Secretary Desk, Queen Anne Style, 1880s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Late 19th century English Queen Anne style slant front desk with three drawers & inner compartments.
Walnut
$232,000Sale Price|20% Off
H 136 in Dm 108 in
Exquisite Rotunda Structure Kiosk Copper & Carved Stone Bench Seating Columns
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Exquisite Rotunda Structure Kiosk Copper & Carved Stone Bench Seating Columns . Monumental Exquisite refined work King Charles X Period Rotunda rotundus building structure with a...
Stone, Copper
$6,384Sale Price|20% Off
H 66.15 in W 38.19 in D 18.9 in
Biedermeier Walnut Secretaire, Antique Desk from Germany, Circa 1830
Located in Darmstadt, DE
This stunning Biedermeier secretary desk is an authentic antique piece crafted from walnut wood, both inside and out. Dating back to the early 19th century, this masterpiece showcase...
Pine, 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 91.75 in W 63.75 in D 27.25 in
French Empire Armoire, Walnut & Steel, Hand-Carved, Circa 1820, France
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
An impressive French Empire-style armoire from the early 1800s. The pronounced cornice makes a statement above the pair of paneled and carved doors all crafted of solid, book-matched...
Brass, Steel
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.
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