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Rococo Desks

ROCOCO STYLE

Rococo was an aesthetic movement in the fine and decorative arts in the 18th century that found its inspiration in nature and fostered an overall lightness and delicacy of form, construction and ornament in interior design. Rococo furniture, while greatly influenced by trends in Italy and Germany, is often called Louis XV style — the movement having reached its best expression during that sybaritic French king’s reign.

The term “rococo” is thought to be a portmanteau of the French words rocaille and coquilles — “rock” and “shells” — organic motifs frequently used in architecture and design of the style.

When it comes to authentic Rococo furniture's characteristics, it is above all sensuous and social. The furniture of earlier eras in Europe had been heavy in every sense; the Rococo period saw the appearance of light-framed upholstered armchairs, side chairs and occasional tables that could easily be moved to form conversational circles.

The signal detail of Rococo furniture design is the gently curved cabriole, or S-shaped chair-, table-, and cabinet-leg. It imitates the bend of a tree limb or a flower stem. In a further reference to nature, furnishings were often asymmetrical and painted white, or in soft, pastel shades. Rococo has become a timeless style, and as the furniture pieces presented on 1stDibs demonstrate, its playful, sculptural forms can provide visual excitement to contemporary, clean-lined spaces.

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Style: Rococo
Color:  Brown
French Louis XV Style Bureau Desk
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
Bureau desk with fine gilt ormolu mounts and veneers in king wood, satinwood and rosewood. The ornate marquetry surface adorned with gilt bronze ormolu. Fr...
Category

Mid-19th Century English Antique Rococo Desks

Materials

Bronze

20th Century Inlaid Wood Lombard Trumeau Desk, 1960
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
Lombard trumeau from the mid-20th century. Moved and rounded furniture in Rococo style richly inlaid in walnut, burl, maple, beech and fruitwood. Double body trumeau equipped with th...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Rococo Desks

Materials

Wood

Dutch Rococo Marquetry Miniature Desk
Located in Essex, MA
With curved lid opening to a fitted interior with three drawers below and bracket feet. Beautifully crafted in a bombe form. Much time and skill went into making this piece. Sometime...
Category

1740s Dutch Antique Rococo Desks

Materials

Walnut

Bureau Bookcase Oak German Serpentine Front Original Brassware Working Locks
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
A large, museum quality, 18th century, German, oak bureau bookcase with a serpentine front, original brassware and working locks As fine an example of this model of German cabinet f...
Category

1740s German Antique Rococo Desks

Materials

Oak

18th Century Scandanvian Rococo Giltwood and Walnut Bureau Bookcase
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very impressive 18th Century Rococo carved giltwood and Walnut bureau bookcase, having wonderful scrolling foliate and plume decoration to the cornice, a single mirror door with gi...
Category

Late 18th Century Scandinavian Antique Rococo Desks

Materials

Walnut, Giltwood

Vintage Italian Rococo Revival Writing Desk
Located in New York, NY
A vintage Italian writing table / desk with Rococo Revival handicarved solid wood frame accented by a scalloped apron and gilt embossed l...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Rococo Desks

Materials

Leather, Wood

Portuguese Colonial Brazilian Solid Rosewood Slant Lid Writing Desk
Located in Essex, MA
Made in Brazil and purchased as an antique in Rio De Janeiro in the 1950s. With slant lid top opening to a finely fitted compartment with drawers and cubbys and hidden compartments o...
Category

1760s Brazilian Antique Rococo Desks

Materials

Rosewood

Related Items
French Louis XV Style Bureau Plat
Located in Montreal, QC
This fine piece dates from the third quarter of the 19th century and has many of the characteristics of a period piece, although made later. The mahogany is exceptionally well-chosen...
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1870s French Antique Rococo Desks

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French Louis XV Style Bureau Plat
French Louis XV Style Bureau Plat
H 30 in W 57 in D 32 in
19th Century George III Mahogany Bureau Bookcase
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is a good quality George III mahogany bureau bookcase. Having two glazed doors in the top, both opening to reveal adjustable shelves. Below this is the bureau section, with ...
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Early 19th Century English Antique Rococo Desks

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Mahogany

19th Century Dutch Miniature Secretaire Cabinet
Located in Casteren, NL
19th century miniature secretaire cabinet made from Oakwood. Decorative object, can be used as jewelry/letter box. Originates Netherlands, dating, circa 1800
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Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Rococo Desks

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Oak

Henredon Georgian Walnut Drop Front Secretary Desk With Bookcase Hutch
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful Georgian or Queen Anne style bureau with drop front secretary desk and bookcase hutch top By Henredon USA, Circa 1980s Gorgeous figured walnut, with original bra...
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Late 20th Century American Rococo Desks

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Brass

Antique English Miniature Salesman Sample Bureau Desk
Located in Forney, TX
A handsome and scarce English Arts & Crafts period miniature oak bureau from the early 20th century. Exquisitely hand-crafted in England over a century ago, exceptionally executed, t...
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Early 20th Century English Rococo Desks

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Danish Rosewood Desk and Bookcase with Sliding Doors, 1950
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
A beautiful Danish rosewood desk cabinet with upper shelving. Features adjustable shelving with additional storage behind the 2 sliding doors and an extendable writing surface. Has a...
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1950s Danish Vintage Rococo Desks

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Rosewood

Antique Bureau Bookcase, Slant Front Desk, Bookcase Top, Scotland 1910, H244
Located in Vancouver, BC
Antique Bureau bookcase, Slant front desk, bookcase top, Scotland 1910, H244 Scotland 1910 Solid oak Original finish The top with glass doors and stitched interior The fall front op...
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1910s Scottish Vintage Rococo Desks

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Oak

Arts & Crafts Oak Barrister Bookcase with Drop Front Secretary Desk, circa 1920s
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts barrister bookcase with fall front secretary desk Recently procured from Frank Lloyd Wright's DeRhodes House Attributed to Globe Wernicke US...
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1920s American Vintage Rococo Desks

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Brass

Henkel Harris Georgian Mahogany Drop Front Secretary Desk with Bookcase Hutch
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Georgian or Chippendale style bureau with drop front secretary desk and bookcase hutch top By Henkel Harris USA, Circa 1977 Carved solid mahogany, with glass fron...
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1970s American Vintage Rococo Desks

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Brass

John Stuart Georgian Burl Wood Drop Front Secretary Desk with Bookcase Hutch
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful Georgian or Queen Anne style bureau with drop front secretary desk and bookcase hutch top By John Stuart USA, circa 1960s Gorgeous burled walnut, with leather wr...
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1960s American Vintage Rococo Desks

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Brass

JASPER "Generations" Inlaid Mahogany Chippendale Style Secretary Desk
Located in Charlotte, NC
A Chippendale style secretary desk by Jasper Cabinet Company, their "Generations" model. Inlaid mahogany, brass hardware, pediment top with inla...
Category

Late 20th Century American Rococo Desks

Materials

Brass

H.E. SHAW Antique Early 20th Century Mahogany Georgian Secretary Desk
Located in Charlotte, NC
A Georgian style secretary desk by H.E. Shaw Furniture. Mahogany with brass hardware, wood drawer knobs, scroll pediment top with three finials, an e...
Category

Early 20th Century American Rococo Desks

Materials

Brass

Previously Available Items
French Rococo Style Ladies Desk
Located in Chelmsford, GB
Fine quality late 19th century French Rococo red walnut Writing table / Desk The desk has quality carved cabriole legs with ornate brass ormolu handles. All drawers slide nice and...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Rococo Desks

Materials

Walnut

French Rococo Style Ladies Desk
French Rococo Style Ladies Desk
H 30.32 in W 40.95 in D 22.84 in
Antique Dutch Early 19th Century Walnut Marquetry Cylinder Desk / Bureau 1820
Located in Portland, OR
A Fine & exceptional antique early 19th century Dutch Rococco marquetry inlaid cylinder bureau/desk, Circa 1820. The desk is sumptuously and profusely inlaid with fruitwood marquetr...
Category

1820s Dutch Antique Rococo Desks

Materials

Fruitwood, Walnut

19th Century Northern Italian Rococo Writing Desk Cabinet
Located in Forney, TX
A rare and magnificent Italian Rococo pewter inlaid fruitwood three piece writing desk with beautiful rich patina. Born in Northern Italy in the first half of the 19th century, exquisite hand-crafted construction, featuring fine quality craftsmanship, materials and detailing throughout. The exceptionally executed, impressive large scale antique writing desk surmounted by serpentine upper portion fitted with nine drawers and a locking cabinet with original key included; the mid-portion with shaped fall-front writing surface panel concealing five short shelve pigeonhole cubbies, flanked on each side by deep drawers, and resting atop four large chest drawers; the façade with highly attractive richly figured burled veneer outlined with fine pewter inlay and contrasting exotic woods inlays; standing on carved walnut cabriole legs joined by curved X-shaped cross stretcher. Marks to verso: A.U. 17, A.U. 20 Provenance: Skinner, Boston, Massachusetts; European Furniture and Decorative Arts catalog, October 5, 2013, lot 784. Property from the Estates of Ramon Osuna (1937-2019) and Robert Lennon (1933-2021), Washington, D.C. Longtime Washington-area art dealers, Mr. Osuna was born in Havana and came to the Washington area soon after Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. He initially made his name as a dealer in contemporary art but gradually expanded into the Old Masters. With his longtime friend and partner Lennon, he owned galleries in Washington for many years and, at his death, also had Osuna Art...
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19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Desks

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Pewter

18th C. Swedish Rococo Period Two-Part Painted Secretary with Library
Located in Wichita, KS
A Swedish secretary with library from the Rococo period, circa 1760. The upper section has two shaped shelves and a multitude of small drawers. The slant front opens to reveal six wa...
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18th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Desks

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Wood, Paint

Mid-Century Hand Painted Venetian Bombay Form Secretary
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a 1960s hand painted Venetian bombay form secretary. It is a wonderful shade of green with Italian pastoral scenes throughout. It is in very good condition.
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1960s Italian Vintage Rococo Desks

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Brass

19th Century Venetian Rococo Style Painted Desk
Located in Middleburg, VA
19th Century Venetian Rococo style desk Measures: 73" H, 26" W, 16" D.  
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19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Desks

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Wood, Paint

18th Century Swedish Fall Front Bureau with Small Interior Compartments
Located in London, GB
Late Circa 18th century Swedish fall front bureau. The interior comprises of small drawers and compartments over three long deep drawers. The bureau comes in one piece and features d...
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18th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Desks

Materials

Oak

English Rococo Painted Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
Elegant English Rococo black painted desk with antiqued dark leather inlaid writing surface and a profusion of hand painted gilt floral detail on apron ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary European Rococo Desks

Materials

Wood

English Rococo Painted Desk
English Rococo Painted Desk
H 30 in W 54 in D 28.5 in
Late 19th Century Highly Carved Gilt Venetian Drop Front Desk
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous desk with fantastic carvings, including a full body cherub dragons roaring lion drawer pulls and what possibly could be the family crest on the dr...
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1890s Italian Antique Rococo Desks

Materials

Walnut

Early 20th Century Italian Carved Walnut Leather Top Desk
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a wonderful 1930s Italian carved walnut desk with an embossed red leather top. It breaks down into pieces for ease with regard to shipping. It is carved identically on both s...
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Early 20th Century Italian Rococo Desks

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

North Italian Serpentine Front Banded Walnut Rococo Style Secretary Desk
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This fine North Italian Austrian inspired fall front banded walnut secretary desk features a fall front that opens up to an interior with stepped rows of short drawers, the bottom dr...
Category

Early 19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Desks

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Bronze

Swedsih Style Rococo Desk
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a Swedsih Style Rococo desk, they have been restored and repainted with milk paints "Oyster White".
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1930s Swedish Vintage Rococo Desks

Materials

Wood

Swedsih Style Rococo Desk
Swedsih Style Rococo Desk
H 30 in W 50 in D 30 in

Rococo desks for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Rococo desks for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage desks created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, animal skin and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Rococo desks made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and France pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for desks differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,520 and tops out at $8,590 while the average work can sell for $6,601.

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