A fine late 18th c to early 19th c William and Mary black Chinoiserie secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
A very fine late 18th century William and Mary black lacquered secretary. Fine Chinoiserie hand decorated scenes.
Wood
$21,918 / item
Walnut Secretary Cabinet with Oyster Veneer
By Jonathan Charles
Located in Westwood, NJ
William and Mary tradition - late 17th century English court furniture at its most theatrical, and still one of the strongest looks in a traditional room. The panelled doors in oyst...
Wood
William and Mary Walnut Secretary Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
Fine William and Mary Walnut Secretary Bookcase with etched glass doors candle slides on ball feet.
Sold
H 39.25 in W 44 in D 16.25 in
Antique William & Mary Spanish Revival Walnut Painted Secretary Writing Desk
Located in Dayton, OH
20th Century Jacobean / Spanish Revival secretary desk. Made from walnut with hand carved and painted detail. Features five drawers and interior cubbies for storage. Attributed to Be...
Walnut, Paint
Seaweed Marquetry Secretary
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
William and Mary style seaweed marquetry secretary, 19th century.
Brass
19th Century Inlaid Mahogany William and Mary Secretary on Stand
Located in Sheffield, MA
Fine example of William and Mary design with beautiful inlaid decoration. Desk with baluster leg supports joined with wavy cross stretchers, slanted drop front door supported by two ...
Mahogany
William and Mary Marquetry Secretary, circa 1700
Located in Austin, TX
A fine secretary with foliate and figural marquetry inlay, two-paneled doors on top open to divided shelves. A central slant front has a fitted gallery with drawers, slots and slide ...
Wood
William & Mary Transitional Burled Walnut Secretary Bookcase
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This charming two part secretary bookcase features a Dutch inspired corniche above glazed doors enclosing a silk lined interior with adjustable shelving. Right under the doors two pu...
Brass
18th Century English Red Lacquer chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Essex, MA
A William and Mary Chinoiserie decorated secretary 18th century, the superstructure with two bevelled glass doors, verso with two large figures, one on each panel, above the lower ca...
Oak, Lacquer
Sold
H 29.5 in Dm 60.5 in
Round Regency Style Mahogany & Gilt Bronze Center-Game Table Style of Maple & Co
By Maple & Co.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
For the duration of their trading, the company resided in Tottenham Court Road in London but had trading locations as far as Paris, Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Smyrna. 1840s–1850s ...
Bronze
ENGLISH WILLIAM AND MARY WALNUT-VENEERED SECRETARY
Located in San Francisco, CA
A STATUESQUE ENGLISH WILLIAM AND MARY WALNUT-VENEERED AND INLAID FALL FRONT SECRETARY.
$15,975
H 103 in W 44 in D 24 in
18th C Style George I Red Chinoiserie Decorated Secretary Desk by Burton-Ching
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
18th C Style George I Red Chinoiserie Decorated Secretary Desk by Burton-Ching.
Wood
$16,500
H 102 in W 45 in D 23 in
George II Style Black & Gold Lacquer Chinoiserie Secretary Desk Bookcase
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
George II Style Black & Gold Lacquer Chinoiserie Secretary Desk Bookcase.
Wood, Giltwood, Lacquer
$14,500
H 90 in W 40 in D 23 in
Georgian Style Red & Gold Chinoiserie Decorated Burton-Ching Secretary Desk
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Georgian Style Red & Gold Chinoiserie Decorated Burton-Ching Secretary Desk.
Wood
George I Green Japanned and Parcel Gilt Lacquer Bureau, 18th C.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A striking example of Japanned furniture with European flair, this secretary desk features a vivid green lacquered surface adorned with parcel-gilt decoration in the Chinoiserie styl...
Lacquer, Mirror, Wood
Large Red Jappaned Bureau Cabinet
Located in Dubai, AE
Fine Queen Anne style red Japanned Chinoiserie secretary cabinet. The triple domed top with eight urn finials over two doors, opening interior adorned with hand-painted landscape and...
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
$29,500
H 89 in W 45 in D 22 in
Fine 19th Century English Chinoiserie and Red Lacquered Slant Front Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
A very fine and elaborated 19th century Chinoiserie red lacquered slant front secretary. Hand painted and raised decoration. The interior with pigeon holes and drawers and a writing ...
Wood
$16,500
H 86.5 in W 35.5 in D 18.5 in
English 19th Century Black and Gold Secretary Bookcase with Chinoiserie Décor
Located in Atlanta, GA
An English black lacquer secretary bookcase from the 19th century, with glass doors, drop-front desk and gold Chinoiserie décor. Created in England during the 19th century, this secr...
Glass, Wood
Queen Anne Japanned Secretary Bookcase
Located in Essex, MA
With double arched top over a pair of arched mirror doors opening to a red interior fitted with drawers and shelves, the base with slant lid desk opening to expose a fitted interior ...
Oak
$95,000
H 38 in W 81 in D 55 in
A fine rare 19th c Steinway grand piano ebonized and Chinoiserie painted scenes
Located in Dallas, TX
A spectacular 19th century Black Chinoiserie lacquered Presentation Steinway & Sons Grand Piano . Model #37278 ,having fall key cover reading Steinway & Sons patent Grand New York &...
Ebony
Georgian Style Slant Front Secretary Cabinet in Lacquered Wood, UK
Located in Queens, NY
English Georgian style (19th century) red lacquered Chinoiserie decorated slant front secretary cabinet.
Wood
$44,000
H 105 in W 63 in D 25.5 in
George II-Style Chinoiserie Secretary / Collector's Cabinet by Antonio's SF
By Antonio's
Located in Dallas, TX
a George II-style black lacquer secretary / desk with Collector's Cabinet above, gilt Chinoiserie decoration overall, some raised, cabinet above fitted out with display shelves for C...
Wood
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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