Fall Top Desk Secretaire
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Louis XVI Fall Top Desk
Located in Belmont, MA
Louis XVI fall top desk, made in the Strassburg region, (France) in the 18th century. Stunning
Category
Antique 1780s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Empire Fall Top Desk, France, 1810
Located in Belmont, MA
Introducing a remarkable Empire Fall Top Desk, hailing from France during the period of 1800-1810
Category
Antique Early 1800s European Empire Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Biedermeier Fall Top Desk, South German, 1820
Located in Belmont, MA
Classic Biedermeier fall top desk, South German, 1820, walnut veneer on the outside and mahogany
Category
Antique 1820s German Biedermeier Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany, Walnut
18th c. Swedish Gustavian Period Painted Fall Front Desk
Located in Wichita, KS
An 18th century Swedish fall-front bureau from the Gustavian period wearing beautiful black paint
Category
Antique 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Fine French Louis XV Bureau Dos D' Ane/ Secretaire/ Desk
Located in Westport, CT
top drawers are concaved flattering the undulating movement of the desk, when the fall front top is
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Antique French Louis XVI Inlaid Rosewood Secretaire Abattant Desk Dresser, 1880
Located in Portland, OR
the finest rosewood and of serpentine or bombe shape, with a Carrara marble top, the locking fall
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Marble
H 50.5 in W 26.5 in D 13.5 in
20th Century Lacquered and Painted Wood Venetian Trumeau Desk Secrétaire, 1950s
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
bureau complete with three drawers and a desk top of discreet size and service (see picture). Upper body
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
H 85.83 in W 38.59 in D 19.3 in
English Fall-Front Secretary Desk in Carved Oak, Circa 1800
Located in East Hampton, NY
is perfect for many uses; ample drawer storage, desk/ table top space and just pretty to look at
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English British Colonial Secretaires
Materials
Brass
20th Century Walnut Burl and Beech Wood Italian Trumeau Desk Secrétaire, 1950
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
-front which offers a good-sized desk top and four drawers (see photo). Upper body with two doors with
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
H 84.65 in W 46.86 in D 19.69 in
19th Century Bombe Marquetry Secrétaire à Abattant, Marble Top and Bronze Mounts
Located in Miami, FL
bronze mounts. The secrétaire offers a fall front with a leather top writing desk. The cabinet offers
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
H 51.25 in W 27.75 in D 15 in
French Secretaire à Abattant, First Empire Period
Located in Montreal, Quebec
French first Empire period Secretaire à Abattant, also known as a drop-front secretary, fall front
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
George I Walnut Secretaire Kneehole Desk
Located in Lymington, GB
An English early 18th century walnut secrétaire kneehole desk.
George I period (1714-1727), c 1720
Category
Antique Early 18th Century English George I Desks
Materials
Walnut
19th Century French Rococo Revival Marquetry Secretaire a Abattant
Located in London, GB
writing-desk, the top part of which resembles an armoire, with a door at its base. The top is usually flap
Category
Antique 1850s French Rococo Revival Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Ormolu
Louis XVI Mahogany Secrétaire à Abattant Circa 1820, France
Located in Alexandria, VA
desk section) as well as 6 small drawers with 2 shelves and 2 cubbies in the desk compartment. The fall
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
French Empire Secretaire a Abattant with Cuban Acajou Mahogany
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
opened is 33.75".
The desk top/slant opened is 21.38" deep.
The piece has three lower drawers which
Category
Antique 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Fine Antique French Louis XV Marquetry Rosewood Ormolu Secretaire Abattant 1880
Located in Portland, OR
' drawers form a fall front enclosing a fitted desk with a pair of drawers and two shelves, the fall front
Category
Antique 1880s French Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Ormolu
H 50 in W 26 in D 14 in
19th Century Wood and Marble Antique French Secrétaire Bureau Desk, 1820
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
a drawer, fall front top and two lower doors (see photo). Lower doors slightly rounded by time (to
Category
Antique 1820s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble
19th Century Louis Philippe Style Fall Front Secretary Chest
Located in Tarry Town, NY
by additional lower part storage space . Fall-front opens to a desk with a central cubbyhole, with
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Brass
Antique French Charles X Secretary/Secrétaire à Abattant in Mahogany, c. 1825
Located in Miami, FL
A Charles X secrétaire à abattant in mahogany, France, circa 1825. Fall-front has original counter
Category
Antique 1820s French Charles X Secretaires
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
H 58.5 in W 37.75 in D 16 in
19th Century Louis Philippe Style Fall Front Secretary Chest
Located in Tarry Town, NY
. Fall-front opens to a desk with a central cubbyhole, with more storage drawer / cubicles above. The
Category
Antique 1810s French Louis Philippe Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Brass
19th Century Louis Philippe Fall-Front Secretary in Cherrywood
Located in Tarry Town, NY
opens to a desk with a central cubbyhole, with more storage drawer above and below. The white marble top
Category
Antique 1860s European Louis Philippe Secretaires
Materials
Brass
18th Century Chinoiserie Secretaire in Lacquer by Jacques Dubois (1694-1763)
By Jacques Dubois
Located in NICE, FR
for access. The desk's surface and the pull tab are elegantly sheathed in leather. Upon opening
Category
Antique 18th Century French Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
H 40.95 in W 38.19 in D 16.15 in
Secretaire à la Bourgogne, Transformation Table, Louis XV Style, 19th Century
Located in Greven, DE
Very rare antique desk or secretary, so-called bureau à transformation "à la Bourgogne" in Louis XV
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
H 31.11 in W 27.56 in D 19.69 in
1800s Antique Desk, French Empire Style, Mahogany, Gilt, Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Austin, TX
century!
This stunning French Empire style marble-top mahogany fall-front desk, 19th century, projecting
Category
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble
H 56.5 in W 37.25 in D 22.5 in
Antique Painted Gustavian Grey/White Secretary with Fall-Front & Birch Interior
Located in Miami, FL
drawers above the fall-front and three storage drawers below. The desk's birch interior offers a warm and
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century German Louis Philippe Secretaires
Materials
Brass
H 79.25 in W 42 in D 21.5 in
Antique Biedermeier Secretaire Chest Secretaire Abattant 19th C
Located in London, GB
A truly magnificent antique flame mahogany architectural biedermeier secretaire abattant, circa
Category
Antique 1840s Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
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
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks
Materials
Brass
Italian Handpainted Secretary / Desk in Chinoiserie Design
Located in Dallas, TX
Italian handpainted secretary / desk in chinoiserie design, top features molded shape cornice with
Category
20th Century Italian Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Wool
A George I Style Burl Walnut Secretary Desk, England
Located in Lambertville, NJ
dovetailed drawers with brass hardware with a leather fall front section above the drawers, the top with
Category
20th Century English George I Secretaires
Materials
Leather, Walnut
20th Century Painted Wood Venetian Style Bureau Desk, 1960s
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
drawer plus a fall front. Interior complete with two small drawers, four document compartments and a desk
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Antique English Edwardian Mahogany Chest of Drawers Secretary Desk Bureau
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique English Edwardian Mahogany Chest of Drawers Secretary Desk Bureau. Item features a fall
Category
Antique 19th Century Edwardian Secretaires
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
H 42 in W 48.5 in D 20.5 in
Antique 18th Century VOC Dutch Colonial Padouk Ebony Secretary Desk Bureau 1730
Located in Portland, OR
A very rare antique Dutch Colonial V.O.C. (Dutch East India Company) fall front bureau/desk on
Category
Antique 1730s Indonesian Dutch Colonial Secretaires
Materials
Brass
H 44 in W 38.25 in D 22.25 in
19th C. Drop Front Desk, Secretary Abattant, with Multiple Wood Marquetry Inlay
Located in Madrid, ES
This handsome Carlos IV style "secretaire-abattant" or drop front desk combines functionality with
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Spanish Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Hardwood, Kingwood, Mahogany
H 59.06 in W 39.38 in D 19.69 in
Antique Kittinger Jacobean Spanish Revival American Walnut Carved Secretary Desk
By Kittinger
Located in Dayton, OH
Extremely rare one of a kind early Kittinger Jacobean Revival fall front secretary writing desk
Category
Early 20th Century Jacobean Secretaires
Materials
Oak, Walnut
H 32.5 in W 45 in D 12.5 in
Antique Swedish Golden Ash Biedermeier Secretary Chest Dresser Desk inlaid 1820
Located in Portland, OR
of the finest gold ash; a beautiful blond wood with figured graining. To the top of the cabinet is an
Category
Antique 1820s Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Materials
Ash, Ebony
H 44.75 in W 43.75 in D 20.5 in
Italian 1850s Rococo Style Tall Secretary with Slanted Desk and Original Paint
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Italian Rococo style two-part secretary from the mid-19th century, with slanted desk, mirrored
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Rococo Secretaires
Materials
Glass, Wood
H 95 in W 37 in D 21 in
French First Empire Period, circa 1805, ‘Secretaire Abattant’
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A most powerful and of the highest quality French First Empire period, Circa. 1805, "Secretaire
Category
Antique 19th Century French Desks
Materials
Ormolu
19th Century Classical Charles X Burled Mahogany Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Miami, FL
A dramatic Charles X fall front secretary in astounding burled mahogany veneer. The original
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Charles X Desks
Materials
Mahogany
H 56.5 in W 36.62 in D 16.15 in
19th Century Classical Charles X Burled Mahogany Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Miami, FL
A dramatic Charles X fall front secretary in astounding burled mahogany veneer. The original
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Charles X Desks
Materials
Mahogany
H 56.11 in W 38.59 in D 15.75 in
German Birchroot Biedermeier Abbatant With Architectural Pediment
Located in Charleston, SC
Abbatant is veneered in Birchroot with a fall front writing desk hiding a fitted interior with drawers
Category
Antique Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Secretaires
Materials
Birch, Burl
19th Century Empire Walnut Secretary
Located in Houston, TX
French first Empire period Secretaire à Abattant, also known as a drop-front secretary, fall front
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Ormolu
Swiss Early 19th Century Empire Bureau Cabinet, Signed Hirschgartner
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
standing desk enclosing three drawers, one with three compartments for writing utensils. The fall front
Category
Antique 19th Century Swiss Empire Secretaires
Materials
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Carved Walnut Secretary Cabinet
Located in Dallas, TX
secretary with classical straight lines features a shaped top over a frieze drawer. The fall front opens and
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Secretaires
Materials
Leather, Walnut
19th Century Venetian Secretary Bookcase with Painted Scenes and Floral Sprays
Located in Miami, FL
drawers and the sides. The desk top opens to a series of small drawers and central cubby, which are
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Baroque Secretaires
Materials
Paint
H 95.5 in W 40 in D 22 in
French Empire Brass Mounted, Light Walnut, & Ebonized Secretary, 1stq 19th Cen.
Located in Atlanta, GA
Having a rectangular top above a conforming case housing three drawers, one faux drawer, and a fall
Category
Antique 1810s French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
H 58.5 in W 40.75 in D 17 in
English Glass Front William IV Mahogany Secretary Bookcase
Located in Free Union, VA
moving. A fitted fall front desk is concealed within the large drawer, complete with satinwood fronted
Category
Antique 1830s English William IV Secretaires
Materials
Brass
18th Century Queen Anne Double Dome Burr Walnut Bureau Bookcase
Located in London, GB
style which became known by that name - this is such a piece and very typical it is too. The top section
Category
Antique 1720s Queen Anne Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
French Empire Mahogany Bureau à Cylindre Writing Table, circa 1810
Located in Rome, IT
A French gilt-metal mounted mahogany bureau à cylindre writing desk.
With a grey marble top over
Category
Antique 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
French Empire Mahogany Bureau à Cylindre Writing Table, circa 1810
Located in Rome, IT
A French gilt-metal mounted mahogany bureau à cylindre writing desk.
With a grey marble top over
Category
Antique 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
English Walnut Secretary
Located in Wilson, NC
; the desk with beautiful figured walnut fall board; the interior with double stack of drawers, vertical
Category
Antique 1760s English Secretaires
Materials
Brass
French Empire Mahogany Bureau à Cylindre Writing Table, circa 1810
Located in Rome, IT
A French gilt-metal mounted mahogany bureau à cylindre writing desk.
With a grey marble top over
Category
Antique 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
20th Century Walnut, Burl, Beech, Mahogany and Fruitwood English Trumeau, 1960
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
and a desk top of good size and service (see picture). Upper body with two doors with recessed
Category
Vintage 1960s British Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Beech, Fruitwood, Walnut, Burl
H 83.47 in W 39.38 in D 17.72 in
19th Century Two-Piece English Butler's Secretary
Located in Asheville, NC
fall front desk forms the top drawer of the base cabinet when closed, the upper cabinet has a pair of
Category
Antique 19th Century American Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Small Georgian Mahogany Bureau
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
.
Bureaus are of course a precursor to the modern flat topped desk, first appearing around the late 17th
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century English Chippendale Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century English Walnut Bookcase or Secretary
Located in Savannah, GA
the doors and the front of the fall on the desk are banded in walnut, followed by a String inlay of
Category
Antique 1820s English George IV Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
18th Century Satin Mahogany and Rosewood Secretary
Located in Savannah, GA
This is a secretary / bureau/ desk made in England, circa 1780. The top and the fall have a
Category
Antique 1780s English George III Secretaires
Materials
Satinwood
18th Century Spanish Colonial Vargueno Set on a 19th Century Mission Chest
Located in Hudson, NY
Americas during the global colonization associated with Empire and trade supremacy. The top is an 18th
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century Mexican Baroque Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
H 56.75 in W 43.5 in D 17.5 in
Biedermeier Style Burled Birchwood Secretary Desk by Colombo Mobili
By Colombo Mobili
Located in Shippensburg, PA
# 312SBP08Q
A truly remarkable Biedermeier style secretaire a'abattant desk from the custom furniture maker
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Biedermeier Desks
Materials
Brass
18th C. French Louis XVI Tall Secretaire (Retains Original Leather on Desk-Top)
Located in Atlanta, GA
desk, from the 18th century. This antique "secretaire an abattant" from France features an arched top
Category
Antique 18th Century French Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Wood
H 87.5 in W 51.5 in D 25 in
19th Century French Empire Walnut Fall-Front Secretaire
Located in Southampton, NY
fall-front desk enclosing six small drawers surrounding one larger drawer and original black leather
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Leather, Walnut, Giltwood
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Fall Top Desk Secretaire For Sale on 1stDibs
Find many varieties of an authentic fall top desk secretaire available at 1stDibs. Frequently made of wood, metal and mahogany, every fall top desk secretaire was constructed with great care. Your living room may not be complete without a fall top desk secretaire — find older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. When you’re browsing for the right fall top desk secretaire, those designed in Empire, Georgian and Louis XVI styles are of considerable interest. Many designers have produced at least one well-made fall top desk secretaire over the years, but those crafted by A. Leclaire, Christian Dell and Colombo Mobili are often thought to be among the most beautiful.
How Much is a Fall Top Desk Secretaire?
A fall top desk secretaire can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $6,426, while the lowest priced sells for $625 and the highest can go for as much as $15,675,000.
Finding the Right secretaires for You
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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