Secretaires

Elegant Georgian style cabinet with classical pediment, geometric glazing bars over the twin doors with three adjustable shelves within, the lower section with a fall front, fully li...

George III mahogany secretary, late 18th century. Pediment with dental molding, two glass doors with through mullions, two adjustable shelves and four drawers on the bottom, a central single board slant top, interior with central prospect door flanked by 4 letter slots and 7 drawers, below are 4 graduated drawers with cock beaded moldings, all drawers with locks stamped "Sam Hall...

Vintage French Louis XVI Style Cherry Wood Abbatant Secretary Desk for Bloomingdale's. Item features 2 dovetailed drawers with lined interior, working locks and key, green tooled leather top writing surface, original label which reads "Made expressly for Bloomingdale...

18th century, Italian solid walnut wood Trumeau Measures: height cm 239, width cm 122, depth cm 52, depth raised cm 30 Elegant Trumeau, made in piedmont, north of Italy, in th...

19th century bombe marquetry secrétaire à abattant, marble top and bronze mounts. Offered for sale is a late 19th century Louis XV styl...

This highly important secrétaire-cabinet was crafted for and specially ordered by King George I for the British Ambassador to Russia. From its craftsmanship and materials to its exceptional artistry, it is a work of royal and historic significance that exudes power in each and every detail. The broken pediment at its apex features the simplified royal coat of arms bearing the king’s crown, while the interior is adorned by portraits of the British Royal Family. Placed within the ambassador’s St. Petersburg home, this entirely unique piece of furniture would have been a potent reminder of England's grandeur and political importance. Relations between England and Russia during this period were at an all-time high. Peter the Great had traveled to England in 1698 as part of his widely known “Grand Embassy” tour, wherein he attempted to gain foreign support against the Ottoman Empire. He spent a period of nearly four months there, meeting with King William III and his court on numerous occasions. Noted academic Arthur MacGregor wrote concerning the impact of the trip, “For two decades following Peter's visit, British influence in Russia reached a peak. It manifested itself in social custom, in craft practice and in ships and naval organization... it reached a significant sector of the population before relations cooled once again and the two nations pulled back from this era of unprecedented cordiality.” First and foremost, however, it is a reminder of British might and influence. By the reign of King George I, England had come into its own as a world power. Unique in its design, this cabinet is a reflection of the country’s might. It is crafted from the highest-quality solid walnut and burr walnut adorned by gilded lock plates and engraved hinges. The presence of ormolu at its apex and lining the doors was a rarity for this period, and its addition makes manifest the importance of the design. The outer doors open to reveal multiple interiors, including fifteen separate drawers around a central cupboard; the cupboard doors each bear mezzotint portraits of George I and his father, Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover. An etching after the portrait of George I dating to circa 1716 is in London’s Royal Academy. A second, inner pair of doors are adorned by mezzotints of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later Queen Caroline and George II), which are both after portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller dated 1716 in the Royal Collection. A final portrait is revealed on the very interior of the cabinet, where a mezzotint of Frederick, Anne, Amelia and Caroline, children of the Prince of Wales, resides. An etching (circa 1715-1720) after this portrait can be found in the National Portrait Gallery (London). Apart from its abundance of royal portraiture, the cabinet features stunning painted decoration, including floral designs as well as clouds, birds and trees in a bucolic motif reminiscent of Eden. Its lower portion is a study in both form and function, featuring a fitted secrétaire-drawer above three additional drawers for storage. The cabinet appears in The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture by R. Edwards from 1964, a text that is regarded as the bible of British furniture design. Edwards describes it as a “writing cabinet...given by George I to the British Ambassador at the Russian court.” The cabinet was likely made for the 18th-century German diplomat and writer Friedrich Christian Weber, who represented English interests at the Russian court from 1714 until 1719. Although Weber’s tenure as ambassador was relatively short, while in St. Petersburg, he authored his account entitled Das veraenderte Russland (The Present State of Russia), which was published in three volumes in 1721, 1739 and 1740. It may, however, also have been made for George Douglas, 2nd Earl of Dumbarton, who served as ambassador alongside Weber in 1716. Diplomatic relations ceased between the two countries in 1721. In 1928, the cabinet appeared for sale at the International Exhibition of Antiques & Works of Art in Olympia. It had previously been in the collection of the Woltner family of Bordeaux, the celebrated vintners who owned the estate Château Laville Haut-Brion and produced wine of the same name. According to the family, Monsieur Woltner was given the cabinet as a gift from an aunt who lived in Russia for many years. After leaving the Woltner collection, the cabinet was acquired by William Berry...

An exceptional example of a late George I English secretary desk in walnut, its upper case with a molded broken arch pediment with urn finials surmounting two arched paneled doors, o...

With double arch top over a pair of mirror doors opening to an elaborately fitted interior, the base with two candle slides and hinged slant lid writing ...

Figured wood veneer, the top with a carved cornice over double doors. They open to two shelves over drawers and cubby holes. A middle frieze with three drawers (lacking a key) over t...

French 19th century Louis XV style Burlwood Ormolu Mounted Lady’s Desk. Elegant French burlwood and ormolu mounted Lady’s cylinder desk. The single door cabinet is raised by slend...

18th C. Louis XV Bureau Scriban Bibliothèque Secretary Cabinet Mahogany Antique . A very important rare and Tall Scribing bibliotic secretaire Library desk of a Gentleman or a Lady. ...

Exquisite French Louis XV style secrétaire with wave shaped front adorned with beautiful flower marquetry made of kingwood, rosewood and boxwood veneer, drop front writing desk with ...

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...

English Georgian mahogany secretary cabinet with a bottom section with drawers and an upper section with 2 lattice glass doors Two drilled h...

A beautifully detailed and well appointed Georgian style secretary desk, made in England. The dovetailed drawers with brass hardware with a l...

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...

With broken arch pediment and inset mirror over a pair of arched mirror doors opening to shelves and drawers, the base with a slant lid hinged w...

The case 18th century with later scarlet Japanned decoration. With shaped arched pediment over a pair of arched doors with beveled glass. Opening to a...

A very fine and well-proportioned 19th century French Louis XV style ladies desk. The case is veneered with marquetry decoration and embelli...

Fine Georgian period mahogany chest on chest, the dentil molded top with reeded canted corners having three short and three wide drawers over lower section having secretary drawer an...

Step back in time with our exquisite 18th-century Louis XV Secretary Desk, a true masterpiece of French craftsmanship. This elegant piece of history...

This is an extraordinary secretary desk in the Venetian style. The interior is done in faux marble paint decoration and the exterior is done in a floral and green combination. The de...

18th century English painted oak writing bureau with a nice fitted interior. 1780. Height to underside of fall front is 29.5" (75cm). Code: 8681 Dimensions: W: 34.5" (87.6 cm) H: ...

With architectural broken pediment cornice over a pair of mirror doors opening to a fitted interior, the base with hinged slant lid with red leather surface opening to a fitted inter...

Decorate an office or bedroom with this elegant antique "Secretaire a Abattant". Crafted in Paris circa 1870, the fruitwood secretary stands on cab...

Louis XV style bombe secretary inlaid marquetry, Ormolu Mounted. Signed Henry Dasson. This 19th century bombe tulipwood secretary is built with superior craftsmanship and intricate ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original English circa 1760 Oak writing bureau with green leather writing surface Please not...

Truly a spectacular example of its kind, this grand secretary grabs your attention with its broken arch pediment and doesn't let go until you admire the original bracket feet. In bet...

Dutch trumeau from the Mid-18th Century. Furniture of exceptional quality, richly inlaid in walnut and maple, the interior is covered in oak and the stru...

Crafted in Bordeaux, France, circa 1760, the antique "secretaire a abattant" with upper display shelving is built in two sections. The top part features a curved bonnet cornice with ...

Fine and unusual 18th century Irish mahogany bureau bookcase, the pierced gallery top with Gothic details, the pilasters and door with rich and crisply carved shell and foliate desig...

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...

Italian trumeau from 20th century. Louis XV style furniture nicely inlaid in walnut, maple and fruitwood. Double body trumeau equipped with two drawers and fall-front in the lower pa...

The desk is from the time around 1730 and covered with a beautiful marquetry of different walnut / walnut root wood on a pine body. All three locks are original from that time as wel...

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...

With rectangular cornice over a pair of gothic mullioned doors enclosing a fitted interior, the base with drawer enclosing a fitted desk interior all over three drawers ending on spl...

Louis XV secretaire, France, 1770. Beautiful walnut veneer with plum, satinwood and kingwood marquetry. Exquisite figural marquetry on the outside of the writing top. The writing ...

Early 19th century Georgian style walnut and burr secretary desk, vanity or chest with four drawers and two interior drawers in the desk.

19th Century French Louis XV Style Ormolu Mounted Boulle Secretary Desk Having a writing section along with a two door commode for mail secretary need...

English Georgian style (19th century) red lacquered Chinoiserie decorated slant front secretary cabinet.

"Secrétaire à abattant" - a so called ladies secretaire from the time around 1870-1890 in the style of Louis XV. Fruitwooad and nutwood as well as pr...

Proportioned in a smaller scale than most, this slant front bureau / desk in walnut has parallel strings of satinwood surrounding the herringbone crossbanding that is used throughout...

Louis XV style folding desk with one drawer. An exceptional Louis XV style desk, made of early Italian antique oak wood. This piece screams high quality. Beautiful grain and patina....

This is a charming George l style walnut diminutive secretary. The domed cornice over a conforming vitrine cabinet . The bottom section contains a drop-front opening to reveal a leat...

A Truly Magnificent 19th century Secre´taire a` Abattant by Maison Rogie´ of Paris After the original in the Wallace Collection, London, made in 1777 by Pierre-Antoine Foullet Con...

Rectangular cornice over a single door with mirror, the desk section with fold down writing surface opening to a nicely fitted interior and sliding panel opening to a well, all over ...

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...

20th Century Collector's Edition secretary cabinet by Baker Furniture Company in the French style of Louis XV. The secretary is made of upper and lower cabinets made of carved walnut with working locks and keys. The upper cabinet features an arching crown centered by a heavily carved cartouche. The beautifully paneled doors with brass decorative hardware open to reveal a shallow finished interior having a pair of adjustable display shelves. The abattant, or slant front desk, of the lower cabinet hinges...

Elegant Italian Louis XV Style cabinet with desk 1910s. This cabinet is characterized by a refined veneer in fine rosewood. The veneer is laid using the grain of the wood as a decora...

18th century Irish mahogany Georgian secretary with mirrored doors, broken arch pediment and fitted interior. The pediment has Irish eye su...

Pretty 18th century narrow painted bureau with a fitted interior and working lock and key. The interior features a hidden well and a lovely original chinoiserie lacquer. 1790. Heigh...

A French Louis XV period walnut slant front secretary from the 18th century with buffet in the lower section. Step into the world of regal elegance with this French Louis XV period w...

Late 18th century English painted oak bureau with a good fitted interior. 1780. Height to the underside of the fall front is 73cm. Code: 8514 Dimensions: W: 35" (88.9 cm) H: 40.5"...

We are delighted to offer for sale this very fine Burr Walnut & Brass George II circa 1740 Library Bureau Bookcase with campaign handles A very good looking and well made piece, ...

circa 1790. With a rectangular top over a concealed long drawer with sloping front, mahogany crossbanding and parquetry and box stringing which continues across the top of the sides...

Beautiful solid Cuban mahogany sloping desk with two drawers on each side, each secured by an internal locking system, in a secret cache. Below, a single drawer with identical handle...

18th century oak secretary of very good quality and small model from England Very beautiful secretary composed of 4 drawers as well as a theater. This secretaire stands out by a ma...

Pair Antique Country French Walnut Petite Secretaries are truly an amazing and unique find! The design is unusually tall, shallow and narrow all at...