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Secretaires For Sale
Patent Secretaire, France, 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Patent secretaire with mahogany veneered frame and columns with bronze capitals and bases.
Category

19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires

Materials

Bronze

Japanese Export Lacquer Mother-of-Pearl Secretaire for the American Market
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A rare Japanese export lacquered secretaire for the American market Circa 1800-1830, Colonial Overall densely decorated with flower sprays and landscapes, minutely inlaid with ...
Category

1810s Japanese Edo Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mother-of-Pearl, Wood

Exuberantly Carved Oak French Louis XV Secretary Desk Circa 1900
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a fantastic and unbelievably exuberantly carved solid oak secretary desk with frolicking cherubs and incredible carving for an oak desk. Usually this kind of crisp carving is...
Category

Early 1900s French Louis XV Antique Secretaires

Materials

Oak

Birch Biedermeier Secretaire
Located in New York, NY
Constructed of solid birch and fir and veneered with hand-cut Nordic birch veneers, the secretary features an upper locking drawer which rests upon a fitted desk area hiding behind a...
Category

19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Birch, Fir

19th Century Dutch Bleached Oak Secretaire
Located in Darmstadt, DE
The secretary made of Dutch oak from the 19th century rich in decorations consists of an upper and lower part. The upper part is hinged to the front. The flap sits on two pullouts th...
Category

19th Century Dutch Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

George IV Mahogany Secretary Bookcase with Brass Inlay and Ormolu Mounts England
Located in Atlanta, GA
George IV Mahogany Secretary Bookcase with Brass Inlay and Ormolu Mounts, England, circa 1830.
Category

Early 19th Century English George IV Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

French Louis XVI Style 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...
Category

19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Marble, Bronze, Gold Leaf

19th Century French Empire Napoleon III Bureau Plat Desk
Located in Miami, FL
A fine large sized flat desk otherwise referred to as a "bureau de ministre" or ministers flat desk. In mahogany and mahogany veneer flamed on all sides, beautiful ornamentation of...
Category

19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires

Materials

Bronze

vintage secretary cabinet 1960s Swedish SMI
Located in Lemmer, NL
vintage secretary cabinet 1960s Swedish SMI period 1960s design SMI Sweden Sweden condition good minor signs of use size 97 x 90 x 47 (hxbxd) details teak; item numbe...
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Teak

solid pine secretary desk by WASA, Germany 1990s
Located in ECHT, NL
Secretary desk made by German company Wasa in 1992. it is made from solid pine. It has a lid that folds down to function as a work top. Behind the lid there are shelves and drawers....
Category

Late 20th Century German Scandinavian Modern Secretaires

Materials

Pine

Elegant Louis XVI Cherrywood Secrétaire Cabinet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant Louis XVI cherrywood secrétaire cabinet.
Category

18th Century and Earlier French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Leather, Cherry

Crotch Mahogany Individual Glass Pains Door Drop Front Secretary Breakfront MINT
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Crotch Mahogany Individual Glass Pains Door Drop Front Secretary Breakfront MINT!
Category

20th Century American Federal Secretaires

Materials

Brass

18th Century George II Miniature Campaign Bureau Chest on Later Chest Stand
Located in Dallas, TX
PRESENTING A GORGEOUS and beautifully proportioned Mid-18th Century George II Miniature Campaign Bureau Chest on later Chest/Stand. Mid-18th century, made in Britain, circa 1760-1770. The bureau chest sits on a later stand/chest, that we estimate is late 19th century, circa 1860-1880. It is also British. We believe that the primary wood in this piece is either Elm or Sycamore with mahogany elements. Classic Campaign style miniature Bureau Chest, with its ORIGINAL George II brass hardware, including handles on the sides for easy carriage, which is what proves to us, that this chest was made for campaign purposes. The brasses are GORGEOUS and are classically George II in style, design and construction. The quality, thickness and patina to the brasses, is what ‘initially’ tells us, that this is a ‘period’ piece and not a reproduction. Likewise, the dovetailing detail to the drawers, tells us that this was a hand crafted piece and certainly NOT machine made. The secondary woods appear to be a combination of oak and pine, exactly as one would expect. The central keyhole escutcheons are FANTASTIC and are in the form of a pair of opposing ‘lyres’. We have never seen anything like them! Beautiful natural patina! The ‘brasses’ look like they have been polished a ‘little too often and vigorously’, over the piece’s 250+ years history … BUT … the bonus of this cleaning is the creation of a rather appealing, '2 Tone effect’, on the patina of the wood around the brasses. The Bureau has a flat gallery...
Category

18th Century English George II Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Antique Louis XV Style Oak Secretary Desk
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Louis XV style oak secretary desk with intricate and highly detailed carvings on front, top and sides. The scalloped door, with a working key, drops...
Category

19th Century Louis XV Antique Secretaires

Materials

Metal

18th Century Baroque Secretaire/ Writing Cabinet Nutwood, Germany ca. 1770
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Important 18th century secrétaire or writing cabinet elaborately made in the baroque period in West Germany around 1770. Different kinds of fine nutwood/ walnut were used to set up a...
Category

Late 18th Century German Baroque Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Italian secretary attributed to Paolo Buffa circa 1950
Located in PARIS, FR
A beautiful Italian secretary attributed to Paolo Buffa circa 1950 Top with brass stars decorations Nice condition
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Charles Spooner Arts & Crafts Oak secretaire Cabinet with Serpentine Stretchers
By Charles Spooner
Located in London, GB
Charles Sydney Spooner, probably made by J H Brandt. A rare oak secretaire cabinet on stand, with quarter veneered panels to the doors and drawers with black and green diamond shaped handles. The doors open to reveal adjustable shelves. The sides and lower stand are all made from solid quarter sawn oak with beautiful figuring. The slightly graduated mouldings to the waist frame the tidy little writing area. Standing on squashed ball feet, united with serpentine entwined stretchers. This is an oak variation of the cabinet Charles Spooner exhibited at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society in 1910. One can see that both cabinets are essentially the same design, one with drawers one with a pull down writing area. Both have quartered veneered panels to the doors, the Mahogany one with applied moulded decoration to the doors. See : illustration below from : Arts and Crafts Furniture by John Andrews. See also : Charles Spooner Arts and Crafts Architect, page 209 illustration 10:28. : Fine Art Society for a Coromandel variation and Puritan Values : Important Furniture Page 1, for a larger four door lacquered panelled variation. Charles Spooner is noted as one of the most influential people and also credited as one of the fathers of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Born at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington (London), Spooner was the second of 5 children of Charles Spooner and Sarah Frances Trinder, who lived at Brook Green, Hammersmith. Spooner became an architect and an instructor of furniture design at the London County Council's Central School of Arts and Crafts. He was a pupil and then assistant of Sir A W Blomfield and in 1890 won the RIBA’s Soane Medallion (Proc RIBA). He specialised in smaller churches and houses turning out some beautiful and complete buildings. He was influenced by E W Godwin and contemporary American architects such as H H Richardson. He was a member of the Society and Protection of Ancient Buildings and the Art Workers Guild, he worked in the tradition of William Morris, teaching...
Category

1920s English Arts and Crafts Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Oak

18h Century Louis XVI Walnut Cylinder Bureau / Secretaire
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Beautiful cylinder Bureau from the time of Louis XVI circa 1780-1790. The Secretaire is made of thick saw walnut veneer on a pine wood body, the interior is made also with walnut ven...
Category

Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Late 18th Century Louis XVI Cylinder Desk with central lock and beautiful patina
Located in Stahnsdorf, DE
Late 18th Century Cylinder Desk with beautiful Patina, 1800, France Cylinder desk with straight sides, closed in the upper part with a semi-circular flap, with two drawers. The whol...
Category

1790s French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

SECOND HALF OF THE 19th CENTURY SMALL STANDING DESK
Located in Firenze, FI
Elegant small piece of furniture in carved solid walnut, with a folding top for standing writing. This piece of furniture was created to be used as a vertical desk, the top opens wit...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

20th Century Inlaid Wood French Bureau Desk, 1960
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
French bureau with high leg from the 20th century. Furniture finished for the center veneered in walnut, rosewood, mahogany and fruitwood adorned with floral inlay. Bureau equipped w...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Italian walnut bureau with writing surface, tuscan cabinetmaking, mid-1700s
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A beautiful 18th-century Italian walnut bureau with writing surface, internal drawers, and hidden compartment – tuscan cabinetmaking, mid-1700s Some pieces of furniture carry their ...
Category

Mid-17th Century Italian Directoire Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

German Biedermeier Olivewood Inlaid and Parcel Gilt Secretary / Bookcase
Located in Queens, NY
German Biedermeier (18th Century) olivewood secretary / bookcase in shaped rectangular with the top section having a hinged 2-door shelved cabinet with glass windows bordered by parc...
Category

18th Century German Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Scandinavian Minimalist Style Wood Desk
Located in Paris, FR
Great Nordic style compact desk made of solid wood, oak or walnut (chosen by the buyer) offering storage solution with one drawer. Great lines, elegant designer's creation, made in a...
Category

2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Secretaires

Materials

Oak, Walnut

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 des...
Category

1720s English Queen Anne Antique Secretaires

Materials

Oak

High mahogany secretary with marquetry and brass fittings from around the 1840s
Located in Lejre, DK
High mahogany secretary with marquetry and brass fittings from around the 1840s. Measurements in cm: H:215 W:104 D:52
Category

1840s Danish Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

Danish Secretary's Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
Vitze Secretary's Dresser. Teak wood with oil finish. Drop down desk with key. 3 spacious drawers.
Category

1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Teak

Louis XVI Roll Top Desk, France 1780
Located in Belmont, MA
This unique Louis XVI Roll Top Desk was made in France around 1780. The outside of the secretary desk has a kingwood veneer with a gorgeous mar...
Category

1780s French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Kingwood, Yew

Early 20th Century Secretary with Drawers and Marquetry and Brass Details
Located in New York, NY
This early 20th century secretary has two drawers and a flap, with storage behind the flap. The flap opens by key, which is included. The ...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Regency Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Wooden Secretary Rustic with Flap 19th Century
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
This desk is composed of a cupboard and an openable drawer. Very nice piece of ironwork in metal trim. This little « Bureau de pente »  is in solid wood. France 19th century.
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood

19th Century French Louis XVI Bleached Mahogany Secretaire / Commode With Marble
Located in Viterbo, VT
Louis XVI commode with secretaire hand-crafted in France using mahogany and pegged construction. The commode features three inset drawer, the first of which slides out to reveal a sm...
Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Marble, Brass

Early 18th Century Solid Walnut English Bureau Bookcase
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
A delightful early 18th century solid walnut bureau bookcase having attractive double domed top with replacement mirror plates to panelled doors enclosing well fitted interior abov...
Category

Early 18th Century English Georgian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Lovely Vintage Secretary with 3 Drawers and Shelves on Top
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Pretty vintage American secretary cabinet having slant front desk that opens to a 29.5 d surface and cubbies with one little drawer. The top has gl...
Category

1950s American Country Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Glass, Wood

Louis XVI Secretary Desk, South German 1780, Walnut
Located in Belmont, MA
This original Louis XVI Secretary Desk dates back to 1780 and comes form the southern part of Germany. It is a real beauty! The lower part has...
Category

1780s German Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

18th Century English Country Secretary in Hand-Carved Oak
Located in Dallas, TX
18th Century English Country Secretary in Hand-Carved Oak is a superlative example of the design, conceived as a piece that takes up no more space than a chest of drawers, but can se...
Category

1790s English Neoclassical Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Antique secretary from around 1850, Northern Europe.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Impressive secretary from the mid-19th century in Biedermeier style. Antique furniture with a more beautiful form will add elegance to any interior. A representative piece of furnitu...
Category

1850s Scandinavian Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Tall Cabinet in Solid Patinated Pine Designed by Martin Nyrop for Rud Rasmussen
Located in Lejre, DK
Tall cabinet in patinated solid pine. Designed by MAA. Martin Nyrop as interior for Copenhagen town hall in 1905. Made in Denmark by Cabinetmaker Rud Rasmussen cabinetmakers. Great o...
Category

Early 1900s Danish Scandinavian Modern Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

Scandinavian Modern Teak Secretary by Gunnar Falsig 1960s
Located in Asaa, DK
Scandinavian Modern teak secretaire by Gunnar Falsig 1960s. Mid-century Modern Danish secretaire with curved front. Very elegant and versatile, both a writing desk and a chest of dr...
Category

1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Teak

Biedermeier secretary, Northern Europe, circa 1860.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Biedermeier secretary, Northern Europe, circa 1860. Very good condition, after professional renovation, a piece of furniture finished in polish. Wood: mahogany dimensions: height:...
Category

1860s Swedish Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

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...
Category

18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Cherry

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...
Category

Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood, Rosewood, Walnut, Softwood

Venetian Trumeau Green Lacquered Hand Decorated Secretary with Writing Desk 1976
Located in Prato, IT
Venezia, Italy, handcrafted production from 1976 In Venetian style Louis XV Painted and decorated in gold Upper part with two doors with two beveled mirrors depicting a Lady and a...
Category

20th Century Italian Louis XV Secretaires

Materials

Mirror, Wood

AMAZING ENGLISH STATIONERY BIN WITH LIFTING 18th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
AMAZING STATIONERY BIN WITH LIFTING English, 18th century. in lacquered wood. Gold decoration representing pagodas and river landscapes. Friezes with plant motifs. Lower body with ...
Category

18th Century English Chinese Export Antique Secretaires

Materials

Lacquer

French 19th Century Secretary
Located in New Orleans, LA
This secretary desk opens up and offers a beautiful writing space, along with areas to store your writing material. The secretary has bronze mounts, a marble top and Venis Martin...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Secretaires

Materials

Bronze

18th Bargas-style Bargueño Desk with a 19th Century Bridge Table
Located in Marbella, ES
A majestic antique writing desk, richly carved and decorated with gilded details, placed on a sturdy, rustic wooden trestle-style table. The writing desk features multiple compartmen...
Category

17th Century Spanish Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Mid-Century Modern Wall Secretary Desk in Walnut
Located in Courbevoie, FR
Wall secretary desk, model Odense. Oiled solid walnut. Natural leather interior full grain untreated. Designed by Møbler Gallery. Made in France by...
Category

2010s French Secretaires

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Italian Mahogany Secretaire Cabinet, 1950s
Located in Meda, MB
Precious cabinet secretaire produced in Italy in the 1950s, The whole cabinet is veneered in mahogany with a fine solid wood carving in the center of the two doors representing two b...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany, Maple

18th Century English Painted Bureau
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
18th century English painted oak bureau with a fitted interior, featuring a hidden well and hidden drawers. 1760. Height to the underside of the fall front is 73cm. Code: 8523 Dim...
Category

18th Century English George III Antique Secretaires

Materials

Oak

Vintage secretary / desk by Musterring made in the 60s
Located in Breda, NB
Vintage secretary / desk by Musterring made in the 60s. Dimensions: Width: 88.5 cm Height: 99 cm Depth: 47 cm Depth extended blade: 62.3 cm Height worktop: 70.5 cm The piece has tr...
Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Teak

Oak and Brass Office Desk Shelving and Loft Storage Suite by Amuneal
Located in New York, NY
This Oak and Brass Office Desk Shelving and Loft Storage Work Suite by Amuneal is a modular office system from Amuneal’s Loft shelving system. Posts in bl...
Category

2010s American Modern Secretaires

Materials

Brass, Steel

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...
Category

19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany, Wood

English Chinese Chippendale Style Lattice Design Secretary
Located in Queens, NY
English Chinese Chippendale style (19th century) carved mahogany lattice design secretary with gilt eagle pediment.
Category

19th Century Chinese Chippendale Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany, Giltwood

Art Nouveau Secretaire Cherrywood
Located in Darmstadt, DE
A beautiful Secretaire made of solid cherrywood, from the time of Art Nouveau, circa 1900. The interior of the middle section was covered with bird’s-eye maple veneer and looks so be...
Category

Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Secretaires

Materials

Birdseye Maple, Pine, Cherry

Art Nouveau Secretaire Cherrywood
Art Nouveau Secretaire Cherrywood
$5,215 Sale Price
36% Off
Davenport Desk in Walnut, 19th Century
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Superb Davenport in walnut and burl walnut from England from the 19th century V ery elegant small travel desk in walnut and burl walnut which has a very elegant base The right side...
Category

19th Century British Victorian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Rosewood Secretaire by Erling Torvits for Klim Mobelfabrik, 1960s
Located in Breda, Netherlands
Danish Design Danish rosewood secretary designed by Erling Torvits for Klim Møbelfabrik. This secretary has a hinged leaf that drops down and becomes a sturdy desktop. Behind this le...
Category

1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Rosewood

Chinoiserie Gilt Lacquer Table Secretaire
Located in Chicago, IL
This charming tabletop secretaire is decorated in gold and black in the Chinoiserie style. The exterior is finished with black lacquer and painted with scenic mountain landscapes, br...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Secretaires

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

19thc French Painted Secretary
Located in New Orleans, LA
Beautiful 19thc Robin’s egg blue secretary/fall front desk.
Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood

German Biedermeier Mahogany Secretary
Located in Queens, NY
German Biedermeier (circa 1820) mahogany secretary cabinet with Corinthian columns on top and bottom section and a centered drop front revealing a...
Category

19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

18th Century Country French Neoclassical Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
18th Century Country French neoclassical secretary is a splendid example of the genre, dating to the reign of Louis XVI himself! The period saw ...
Category

Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Bronze

Mid-Century Desk by Silvio Cavatorta in Mahogany on Steel Tubes, Italy 1960s
Located in Ulm, DE
This exquisite mid-century modern desk, designed by renowned Italian designer Silvio Cavatorta in the 1960s, epitomizes elegance and functionality. Crafted from rich mahogany, the de...
Category

1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Steel

Antique, New and Vintage Secretaires

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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