19th Century Country French Louis XVI Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century Country French Louis XVI secretary is a truly astonishing work of the cabinetmaker's art!
Oak
French Louis XVI Secretary, Ebonized Mahogany & Brass, Circa 1800s
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This French Louis XVI style drop front secretary from the 1800s has impressive etched brass inlay on its exterior, which is made even more dramatic by the deep ebonized finish.
Marble, Brass
18th Century French Louis XVI Secretary Desk in Stripped Oak
Located in Dallas, TX
An exceptional 18th century French Louis XVI period secretary crafted from solid oak and now presented in a beautifully stripped finish that reveals the natural grain and hand carving.
Brass
Fine Quality Inlaid Marquetry Petite Louis XVI Mahogany Secretary Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This exquisite French Louis XVI secretary desk embodies the refined elegance and timeless craftsmanship of 18th-century design.
Bronze
Louis XVI Style Gilt Bronze and Mahogany Secretary Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This exquisite French Louis XVI secretary desk exemplifies the refined elegance and craftsmanship of late 18th to early 19th century French furniture.
Bronze
Louis XVI Secretary Desk, France, 1780-1800
Located in Belmont, MA
Exquisite Louis XVI Secretary Desk – France, c. 1780-1800 This stunning Louis XVI secretary desk, crafted in France between 1780 and 1800, is a masterpiece of 18th-century craftsman...
Kingwood, Rosewood
19th Century French Louis XVI-Style Parquetry Inlaid Secretary
Located in Queens, NY
French Louis XVI-style (19th Century) parquetry inlaid drop front secretary abattant with gilt bronze trim and ring hands with 4 drawers below a fitted interior with a leather writin...
Marble, Bronze, Gold Leaf
$4,752Sale Price|30% Off
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
Louis XVI Cylinder Secretary
Located in Brussels, BE
Louis XVI cylinder secretary.
Wood
Important Louis XVI Cherrywood Secretary 18th Century
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Surprising and rare Louis XVI secretary in cherrywood from the 18th century Uncommon secretary given its large size of 1m74 and its very beautiful interior Very beautiful patina an...
Cherry
$63,207Sale Price|38% Off
Louis XVI Style Secretary by H. Dasson, France, Circa 1880
By Henry Dasson
Located in PARIS, FR
A very fine Louis XVI style upright secretary, executed in veneered wood, finely decorated with painted medallions representing mythological scenes.
Bronze
Antique Petite French Carved Oak Secretary Writing Desk Table Louis XVI c1890
Located in Choudrant, LA
19th century Petite French carved oak secretary writing desk Louis XVI style ~Direct from France~ ~Beautiful antique French carved oak secretary with fabulous detailing throughout~ ...
Oak
French Louis XVI Period Carved Oak Slant-Front Secretary Desk, Liège, Late 18th
Located in Atlanta, GA
A finely carved French Louis XVI period slant-front secretary desk, crafted in natural oak in the Liège region during the late 18th century.
Oak
$2,264Sale Price|20% Off
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.
Burl
Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Walnut Secretary Desk with Marble Top
Located in Astoria, NY
Sourced in Provence, France, the secretary features the restrained neoclassical proportions characteristic of the Louis XVI period, with fluted uprights, paneled fronts and tapered f...
Marble, Brass
French Louis XVI Style Burl Wood Secretary Chest with Marble Top, 1930s
Located in BÉTERA, ES
Elegant French secretary chest in Louis XVI style, beautifully crafted with richly figured wood veneer and fine floral marquetry decoration to the fall-front panel.
Bronze
Louis XVI Secretary in Mahogany Called Bonheur Du Jour
Located in Brussels, Brussels
lovely and rare bonheur du jour Louis XVI in mahogany from the end of the 18th century. Very beautiful little secretary in mahogany with its back in polished solid mahogany which is...
Mahogany
Impressive Rolling Secretary in Louis XVI, 20th Century, Mahogany
Located in Berlin, DE
Impressive rolling secretary in Louis XVI, 20th Century. Scroll function with a Watteau painting, signed. Extendable writing surface covered with leather. Rich marquetry on the si...
Brass
Louis XVI Ebonized Scriban Secretary Chest, Mahogany & Brass, 1880
Located in Austin, TX
Scriban or secretary chest in the Louis XVI style from France.
Marble, Brass
French Louis XVI Style Bronze Mounted Marble Top Secretary by Jules Piret
By Maison Forest
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions - H: 49 in W: 27 1/4 in D: 13 3/5 in IMPORTANT: This piece is not by Maison Forest it is signed and by Jules Piret but cannot be changed in the listing. An exceptional a...
Marble, Griotte Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Maison Jansen Ebonized Secretary Desk, Louis XVI Style, Circa 1940s
By Maison Jansen
Located in Queens, NY
French Louis XVI-style (1940s) ebonized & bronze trim abbatant form desk with a drop front interior above 3 drawers and below a single drawer & a white marble top. (stamped: ...
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Unique French Secretary in Louis XVI Style
Located in Berlin, DE
Various veneer on solid wood. Built by the Ebenisten Jean Henri Riesener. High rectangular body. In the front two doors. Behind the writing board is an architecturally richly structu...
Wood
French Louis XVI Bronze Mounted Vernis Martin Secretary Desk By Henri Picard
By Henri Picard
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions: 60.5 inches high x 30.5 inches wide x 16.5 inches deep Absolutely exceptional antique 19th century French Louis XVI style secretaire à abattant by Henri Picard, a piece ...
Bronze, Ormolu
Vintage French Louis XVI Style Cherry Abbatant Secretary Desk for Bloomingdales
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage French Louis XVI Style Cherry Wood Abbatant Secretary Desk for Bloomingdale's.
Cherry
Louis XVI Style Cylinder Secretary In Marquetry And Gilt Bronze
Located in BARSAC, FR
Very elegant Louis XVI style cylinder secretary in mahogany and light wood marquetry with floral basket decorations on the front of the cylinder and floral arrangements on the sides ...
Carrara Marble, Bronze
$5,150Sale Price|20% Off
Louis XVI Folding Secretary Made of Marquetry Topped with a Carrara Marble
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This is a French work. Louis XVI period, circa 1800
Carrara Marble
19th Century Louis XVI Style Walnut Secretary with Ormolu Accents and Marble Top
Located in Phoenix, AZ
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Secretary with Ormolu accents Gorgeous piece purchased in France.
Walnut
French 19th Century Louis XVI Solid Walnut Secretaire
Located in Carmine, TX
A charming French 19th century Louis XVI solid walnut secretary, featuring a slanted writing front, three drawers, delicate geometric inlay, and elegant tapered legs.
Bronze
$10,400Sale Price|20% Off
Antique French Secretary Desk, France 1770-80
Located in Belmont, MA
Antique French Secretary Desk from the Late 18th Century Explore this French 18th century secretary desk, crafted in France circa 1770-80 during the the so called Transition Period, ...
Kingwood, Satinwood
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
18th Century French Louis XVI Marquetry Secretaire Desk in Mahogany
Located in Winter Park, FL
An 18th century French Louis XVI marquetry secretaire, or secretary desk with bookcase.
Brass
19th Century Carved and Painted French Oak Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
The 19th Century Carved and Painted French Oak Secretary is an antique piece of furniture that features painted oak and nice carvings. This elegant secretary desk showcases the craft...
Oak
$3,450Sale Price|20% Off
18th Century Louis Seize Rosewood and Walnut Secretaire Secretary
Located in Münster, DE
Diagonal flap secretary Louis Seize, around 1780/90, rosewood, walnut and other precious woods veneered and marquetry, 1 spacious drawer, original fittings, wax polish Dimension...
Wood, Rosewood, Walnut, Softwood
Sevres Plaques Inset Bronze Mounted Parquetry Walnut French Secretary Desk
By François Linke
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This magnificent French secretary desk is a true showcase of artistry and craftsmanship, distinguished by its rare Sevres porcelain plaques, rich parquetry inlay, and luxurious bronz...
Bronze
Signed Maison Forest Marquetry Inlaid Bronze Mounted Secretary Desk with Cubbies
By Maison Forest
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Maison Forest specialized in finely crafted, bronze-mounted furniture inspired by Louis XVI and classical revival styles, producing pieces that combined architectural clarity with lu...
Bronze
Rare Signed Mercier Freres Cartonnier with Secretary Desk and Leather Panels
By Mercier Freres
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This rare signed Mercier Frères cartonnier is a magnificent example of French craftsmanship and luxury design. Renowned for their exquisite furniture creations, Mercier Frères was on...
Brass
$9,282Sale Price|20% Off
Verni Martin secrétaire abattant , circa 1880
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality late 19th Century French Louis XVI style secretaries abbattant, having bombe shaped sides, gilded rococo style scrolling ormolu mounts.
Mahogany
French 19th Century Louis XVI Style Desk Secretary
Located in Liverpool, GB
Very high-class, impressive secretary with a retractable writing table, made in the second half of the 19th century, in the style of Louis XVI with elements of the Directorate style....
Wood
Unavailable
H 46.07 in W 22.84 in D 12.01 in
Secretary small Transition Louis XV-Louis XVI 18th Century France
Located in Rapperswil-Jona, CH
Small secretary transition Louis XV-Louis XVI 18th century French origin.
Bronze
Louis XVI Period Secretary in Marquetry
Located in charmes, FR
Louis XVI period secretary in marquetry, very good condition, gray Saint Anne marble has a secret drawer.
Wood
Unavailable
H 56.3 in W 32.29 in D 16.15 in
Louis XVI Period Right Secretary Signed CREPI 18th Century
By Francois Crepi
Located in VERSAILLES, FR
Secrétaire de Dame de forme rectangulaire en placage de satiné. Il ouvre par un tiroir dans la partie supérieure, un abattant découvrant des casiers et des tiroirs et par deux vanta...
Oak
Unavailable
H 69 in W 34 in D 15 in
Converted Dresser Cabinet 3-Way Mirror Inside Louis XVI Secretary, Reduced
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A truly unique luxury vanity 3-drawer dresser cabinet, reduced from $12,800. A rare 19th century French vanity 3 drawer' cabinet converted from a Louis XVI drop front French secreta...
Mahogany
Unavailable
H 58.27 in W 38.59 in D 14.97 in
Courte Jean-Babtiste Louis XVI Period Secretary, Dijon, Francr, Late 18th Century
By Jean-Baptiste Courte
Located in Basel, BS
Louis XVI period secretary, late 18 century, made in Dijon, by Courte Jean-Baptiste (1749-1843) the secretary is stamped COURTE for Courte Jean Baptiste master in Dijon from 1777. ...
Marble, Bronze
Unavailable
H 54.53 in W 30.71 in D 14.77 in
French Secretary Desk, Jean-Georges SCHLICHTIG, Master from 1765
By Jean-Georges Schlichtig
Located in Wien, AT
Louis XVI period, c. 1780, oakwood body, veneered with rosewood and amaranth, and with various, with marquetry panels, ornamental motifs and lattice pattern with partly dyed precious...
Marble
Late 18th Century Provincial Secretary.
Located in Seattle, WA
A late 18th century French Provincial Louis XVI style Cherry wood secretary with inset brass grillwork and secret storage compartment (now sadly empty)
Iron, Brass
19th Century Country French Louis XVI Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century Country French Louis XVI secretary performs two functions at once ~ copious storage in style behind exquisitely carved and molded drawers with intricately cast brass pul...
Brass
19th Century Country French Louis XVI Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
Hand-carved in the manner of Louis XVI by an able rural artisan, this antique country French secretary was fashioned from solid oak to last for generations!
Oak
Louis XVI French Secretary
Located in Austin, TX
Secretary, drop front desk, from France in the Louis XVI style.
Marble, Brass
Louis XVI Style French Secretary
Located in Austin, TX
Secretary, drop front desk, French, in the Louis XVI style.
Carrara Marble, Brass
French Louis XVI-Style Marquetry Secretary
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
French Louis XVI marble-top secretary, the surface veneered entirely with kingwood parquetry, with brass accents, circa 1950.
Marble, Brass
Roll secretary, Louis XVI, France, around 1780
Located in Greding, DE
Beautiful Louis XVI roll-top secretaire in bird's eye maple and walnut. The secretary has been expertly restored and polished by hand.
Walnut
Vintage French Louis XVI Style Walnut Secretary
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
Vintage French Louis XVI style mahogany secretary with brass trim and the original marble top.
Marble
Louis XVI Style Secretary
Located in Austin, TX
Secretary, French, in the Louis XVI style made of mahogany that has been ebonized and finished in a lustrous French polish.
Carrara Marble, Brass
French Antique Louis XVI Style Chest/Secretary
Located in Austin, TX
Louis XVI style French antique chest/secretary made of mahogany and finished with an ebony French polish.
Marble, Brass
Louis XVI Mahogany Secretary
Located in Austin, TX
Secretary, drop front desk, French, made of Cuban flamed Mahogany. This piece is finished in a lustrous French polish. The period cabinet features three dovetailed drawers, a small d...
Marble, Brass
French Antique Louis XVI Style Secretary Desk
Located in Austin, TX
This Louis XVI Style French antique secretary desk has three dovetailed drawers with their finely cast hardware, and a drop front leaf featuring a writing surface covered with a fine...
Carrara Marble, Brass
18th c. Louis XVI Secretary
Located in Madrid, ES
Louis XVI era secretary in walnut.
Ebonized Antique Louis XVI Secretary
Located in Austin, TX
Secretary, drop front desk, from France, of Mahogany in the Louis XVI style.
Carrara Marble, Brass
French Antique Louis XVI Mahogany Secretary
Located in Austin, TX
Beautiful French antique Louis XVI style secretary in ebonized mahogany with French polish, Carrara marble top, inlaid brass details, inset embossed leather top, all original.
Mahogany
19th Century Country French Louis XVI Painted Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century country French Louis XVI painted secretary features the charm of the Provincial style combined with classical motifs and architecture that dates back thousands of years ...
Oak
19th Century Louis XVI Style French Inlaid Secretary Desk
Located in Miami, FL
18th century Louis XVI style French inlaid secretary desk with two shelves, three drawers and a drop down desk.
Walnut
Secretary, 19th Century French Louis XVI with Inlaid Mahogany
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century French Louis XVI inlaid mahogany secretary features a tailored elegance that cannot be denied!
Brass
Secretary in the Louis XVI Style
Located in Madrid, ES
Secretary Louis XVI style, made o fruitf wood . Francia19th .c.
Fruitwood, Wood
18th Century Louis XVI Style French Inlaid Secretary Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
There will be times when additional patience will be necessary. 18th century Louis XVI style French inlaid secretary desk with four shelves, five drawers and a drop down desk.
Glass, Wood
Louis XVI Carrara Marble Top Secretary
Located in Austin, TX
French antique Louis XVI style secretary in ebonized mahogany with a marble top, brass hardware & trim, and carved fluted details.
Marble, Brass
Reflecting the final era of royal opulence before the upheaval of the French Revolution, antique Louis XVI furniture features more angular shapes than the Rococo curves of the Louis XV style, harkening back to the imposing grandeur of Louis XIV.
Dating between 1750 and 1800, an era that overlapped with the last king of France whose reign was cut short by the guillotine, Louis XVI furniture, known as the goût grec, is emblematic of the neoclassical revision that French furniture underwent during the second half of the 18th century.
Authentic Louis XVI furniture characteristics include clean lines and carved details such as scrolls and acanthus flourishes that were inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. This was informed by a burgeoning interest in antiquity in the 18th century, owing to new archaeological excavations at sites including Pompeii and Herculaneum. It largely eclipsed the more East Asian–influenced ornamentation of Louis XV for something more geometric and symmetrical.
The Louis XVI style was defined by what was being created for the palatial rooms at Versailles and Fontainebleau, particularly for the queen, with cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener being a favorite of Marie-Antoinette’s for his luxurious pieces accented with gilded bronze and marquetry. Furniture maker Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené was also a major designer of the period, with his pieces for the royal residences adorned with giltwood and neoclassical touches like tapered columns for chair legs and laurel leaf carvings. Cabinetmaker Adam Weisweiler occasionally incorporated into his furniture porcelain panels produced by Sèvres, a popular manufacturer of European ceramics that served the crown with serveware, vases and other decorative objects.
Find a collection of antique Louis XVI seating, tables, cabinets 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.