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Secretaires For Sale
Period: 1940s
Period: Early 1900s
Fine Carved Walnut French Louis XV Secretary Desk Abatant Basket of Flowers
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a superb carved walnut secretary abatant that's perfect for narrow hallways or shallow areas in a bedroom. The desk is repleat with a tulipwo...
Category
Early 1900s French Louis XV Antique Secretaires
Materials
Leather, Tulipwood, Walnut
Italian Mid-Century Secretary Palisander Wood with Inlays by Paolo Buffa 1940s
Located in Salzburg, AT
Exceptional secretary by Paolo Buffa from the late 1940s in Italy.
The object is a real gem due to its distinctive size as well as the fineness of its execution.
The look is clea...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Burl, Bog Wood, Oak, Maple, Boxwood, Birch, Glass, Palisander
Italian Art Deco Aquamarine Shagreen Secretaire, Attr. to Borsani, 1940s
Located in Meda, MB
This Art Deco secretaire was produced in Italy in the 1940s and is attributable to Osvaldo Borsani. It is completely in an exotic wood with a black lacquered top and base. The centra...
Category
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Metal
Bruno Mathsson reading stand, Karl Mathsson 40's Sweden modernist collector
Located in Forest, BE
Table de lecture en bois et acier nickelé. Daté du début des années 1940. La tablette en bois a été restaurée mais la patine du piétement reste non touché et dans son état le plus proche de l'origine. Ajustable en hauteu. Il y à de beaux détails en laiton. Produite dans les ateliers de son père Karl Mathsson...
Category
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Steel, Nickel
Superb American Stacking Filing Cabinet by Yawman and Erbe
By Yawman Erbe
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Superb American Stacking Filing Cabinet by Yawman and Erbe
This is a superb Example of an American Stacking System Waterfall Filing Cabinet, this hands...
Category
Early 1900s Art Deco Antique Secretaires
Materials
Oak
Antique Louis XVI Desk Cabinet "bureau à pente"
Located in Senonches, Centre-Val de Loire
Louis XVI style antique desk chest of drawers called "bureau à pente".
Three dovetailed drawers, bronze details.
On the front opens a tab...
Category
Early 1900s French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires
Materials
Brass, Bronze
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. Louis XVI style and made from Exotic Burl Wood. Upper cabinet book storage/ display. Dr...
Category
Early 1900s Louis XVI Antique Secretaires
Materials
Burl
Mobile archivio italiano, legno di noce e dettagli in ottone, modernariato 1940
Located in MIlano, IT
Mobile archivio da ufficio in legno di noce con doppia colonna di cassetti con dettagli in ottone.
1940 ca.
Buone condizioni.
Misure in cm 91,5x40x184h
Favoloso mobile archivio inter...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
1940's Traditional Burl Wood Secretary/ Desk
Located in Opa Locka, FL
Beautiful Grand Scale 1940's Traditional style Burl Wood Secretary/ Writing Desk.
This secretary is in very good condition. Miami Beach acquisition.
Category
1940s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Paolo Buffa Italian Mid-Century Brass Inlaid Secretary
Located in Atlanta, GA
Paolo Buffa, Secretary, Italy c. 1948, Brass Intarsia by Giovanni Gariboldi, Manufactured by Marelli e Colico, Cantù.
An exquisite and collectible Mid-Century secretary by esteemed ...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Italian Art Deco Maple Briar, Gold Leaf and Black Lacquered Secretaire, 1940s
Located in Meda, MB
This Art Deco secrétaire was produced in Italy in the 1940s.
It is completely made of an elegant maple briar, with black lacquered and gold leafed details.
In particular, some of t...
Category
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Gold Leaf
1930s Art Deco Secretary Cabinet
Located in Pasadena, TX
1930s Art Deco secretary cabinet.
Exquisite Art Deco display cabinet in walnut with glass front doors featuring fretwork design. The center features...
Category
1940s European Art Deco Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Vintage Mahogany Secretary with Flip Down Desk and Storage
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Vintage wood tall secretary having pretty flat front with carved wood decoration and urn shape in the center. Lovely grain and particularly narrow depth. Turned legs have a lower tie...
Category
1940s American Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Stunning 1900s Burr & Burl Walnut Drop Front Bureau Desk Lovely Timber Patina
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely circa 1900 Burr & Burl Walnut drop front bureau
A good looking and well-made piece, you don't come across many in Burr walnut, it i...
Category
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Extraordinary Colorful Rococo Style Painted Secretary Cabinet with Chair
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Custom painted in a striking blue exterior with an electric and contrasting green interior and having a strong form, ornate gilt hinges and pulls, escutcheons (with keys) and Top fin...
Category
1940s Rococo Revival Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Metal
Unique Antique Cast Brass Double Inkwell from France, Early 1900s
Located in Bastogne, BE
Antique cast brass inkwell features 2 ceramic ink depositories with pen rests, all highly decorated in a Victorian style.
It most likely dates t...
Category
Early 1900s Victorian Antique Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Mid Century Bentwood Desk by Paul Goldman for Plymold 1946
By Paul Goldman
Located in Oakland, CA
Streamlined midcentury desk of Bentwood construction by designer Paul Goldman for Plymold. This unique and beautiful treatment of wood furniture was developed by Goldman, a master bo...
Category
1940s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Bentwood
Golden Oak Secretary / Desk, Carvings, Mirror, Drawer, American, ca. 1900
Located in Petaluma, CA
This dazzling golden oak secretary/desk is feast for the eyes. The leaf drops down for use, and opens up displaying a little drawer and a bunch of cubby holes. Above the desk area is a shelf w/carved sides and, a curvy beveled mirror, w/carving as well. Below the desk is a drawer w/ original brass handles, and a door w/ fancy applied carvings. The legs are reeded, a nice look for this style. The drop leaf is very stabile to write on, and the if you partially pull out the drawer, the leaf will rest on it for extra support. All that being said, the best part of this is the rich color and the aesthetic appeal of this piece of furniture.
One of the nicest examples of turn of the century American oak...
Category
Early 1900s American Late Victorian Antique Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Barristers Wellington Filing Cabinet by Shannon
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Barristers Wellington filing cabinet by Shannon.
This unusual filing cabinet is made by Shannon, recognised for the quality of their filing systems, t...
Category
Early 1900s Art Deco Antique Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
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
Italian Designer, Desk, Teak, Brass, Italy, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A teak and brass desk or secretaire designed and produced by an Italian Designer, Italy, 1940s.
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Antique Arnold Bros Hardwood Chippendale Drop Front Bureau Desk Lovely Timber
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely circa 1900 mahogany drop front bureau in the Thomas Chippendale style made and stamped by Arnold Bros
A good looking and well-made p...
Category
Early 1900s English Late Victorian Antique Secretaires
Materials
Hardwood
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
Fine Quality French Mahogany Bronze Mounted Secretary Desk Bookcase Top
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is an absolutely gorgeous and superb quality diminutive secretary desk from France. The desk features a bookcase top with adjustable shelf and a marble top and trimmed in bronze...
Category
1940s French Directoire Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Carrara Marble, Bronze
English Decorative Chinoiserie Bureau Writing Desk
Located in Staffordshire, GB
Circa 1900
English decorative chinoiserie bureau writing desk - Bonheur Du Jour. Great colour and patina with chinoiserie decoration.
sku 1006...
Category
Early 1900s English Antique Secretaires
Materials
Hardwood
Gilbert Rohde 'Paldao Group' Modular Bookcase System
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rare 3-piece storage system, one of the earliest modular furniture designs, veneered in exotic Paldao burl door-fronts and figured Paldao sides. The dark stain finish is original and beautiful, with a rich rosewood color. The drop-down secretary door is set with an elegantly cast brass knob, and opens to a hidden desk...
Category
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
English Arts & Crafts Handmade Dark Stained Solid Oak Desk with Side Shelves
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
Solid oak English Arts & Crafts desk with built in side shelves and removable top for ease of movement make this a practical gem. Original hardware perfectly intact and united by str...
Category
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Secretaires
Materials
Oak
Secretaire in Rosewood Art Nouveau Style, 1940s
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Furniture made of rosewood inlaid with precious briarwood and maple. The furniture is of high bourgeois taste. The contrast of the rigid geometric lines of the body of the furniture that enclose art-nouveau inlays...
Category
1940s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Maple, Rosewood, Burl
1940's, Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Newport Beach, CA
A petite, two part, hand-painted, lacquered, fully finished, drop front Chinoiserie bureau secrétaire from Spain. The interior of the two-door top is wallpapered in faux bamboo fretw...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
Italian Olive Burl Wood Bombe Secretary Vanity with Display Top & Matching Chair
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous Italian bombe drop front secretary cabinet in olive wood with the matching chair. Bookcase top with Two drawers with brass hardware and exquisite cabriole legs. Expert craft...
Category
1940s Italian Baroque Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
1940's Italian Secretaire with Reverse Painted Glass
Located in Hanover, MA
Golden birch veneered drop front secretary desk with three drawers and reverse painted glass panel of stylized Egyptian women and a chariot...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Glass, Birch
Shapland & Petter, Arts & Crafts Mahogany Desk with a Pierced Heart to the Top
Located in London, GB
Shapland & Petter. A wonderful Arts & Crafts mahogany writing desk with a pierced heart to the top, shaped back and sides, with upper three quarter shelf and a stylized floral leaded glass back below. A period style leather writing area with hand tooled gilt decoration to the edges. A bow fronted drawer with stylized copper heart...
Category
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Secretaires
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
George Walton Style of a Small Arts & Crafts Oak Sideboard with Floral Carvings
Located in London, GB
A small Arts & Crafts oak sideboard in the style of George Walton.
With flaring cornice, four small upper cupboards the central pair with arched doors and a small work area in front...
Category
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Secretaires
Materials
Oak
Extraordinary Signed Zwiener Ormolu Mounted Lady's Secretary
Located in Cypress, CA
Extraordinary Ormolu mounted marquetry kingwood lady's desk, signed Swiener, also dated 1902 and bearing an initial of the persons that it was made for (see attached photo).
Meticulous attention has been given to every details.
Jean-Henri Jansen (1854-1928) founded the famous interior decoration firm of Maison Jansen in 1880. Manufacturing revival and
Nouveau furniture he became Fournisseur de la...
Category
Early 1900s French Louis XV Antique Secretaires
Materials
Ormolu
Gilbert Rohde Paldao Secretary Display Case for Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bookcase with drop-front secretary desk and storage drawers in paldao wood. Glass dividers separate storage compartments, and cork-lined back. Retains Herman Miller tag. Great origin...
Category
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Paldao
Grosfeld House Secretary Bookcase by Lorin Jackson
Located in Hanover, MA
Lorin Jackson for Grosfeld House 1940s cabinet bookcase in mahogany featuring a pull-out secretary with writing surface.
Distinctive Grosfeld "Glassic" Lucite ring pulls with sunbu...
Category
1940s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Secretary Cabinet, Walnut, Flap Door, Secret Drawer - France
Located in Girona, ES
Walnut secretaire cabinet with a flap door and a secret drawer, French polish.
France, circa 1940.
Category
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
1940s Osvaldo Borsani Secretaire
Located in Hanover, MA
Rare and very unusual piece of Italian modern design.
Vintage 1940s Italian bow-fronted secretary in walnut with seven drawers with brass ring pulls, attributed to Osvaldo Borsani.
T...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Walnut, Goatskin
Italian mid-century wood archive stand, 1940s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century wood archive stand, 1940s
Walnut archive dresser from forties, made in Italy. 28 drawers, with brass handles, were used to manage months and months of job, and st...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Venetian Hand-Painted Blind Door Secretary with Bookcase, Circa 1900
Located in Hollywood, SC
Venetian blind door secretary with a carved scrolled decorative cornice, upper case bookcase with hand-painted parrots and foliage, slant top reve...
Category
Early 1900s Italian Neoclassical Antique Secretaires
Materials
Brass
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
Maison Jansen French Louis XVI Style Ebonized Secretary Desk
Located in New York, 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: JANSEN)
Category
1940s French Louis XVI Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Dutch Rococo Style Bombe Burled Walnut Secretaire
Located in Chicago, IL
Dutch Rococo style burled walnut bombe front secretaire with carved ball and claw feet. Three drawers with cast brass pulls and cast brass detailed key ho...
Category
1940s Dutch Rococo Revival Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
1940s French Abatant with Original Vellum Drop Front
Located in Dallas, TX
1940s French abatant with original vellum drop front facing. Faux volumes of books create a decorative door facing with key lock. Bronze scroll detail on base. Beautiful chevron vene...
Category
1940s French Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Grosfeld House Chest or Secretary, 1940s
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
An elegant chest of drawers with pull-out desk drawer by Grosfeld House.
Category
1940s American Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Grosfeld House 1940s Secretary by Lorin Jackson
Located in Hanover, MA
Lorin Jackson for Grosfeld House 1940s cabinet bookcase in mahogany featuring a pull-out secretary with writing surface. Distinctive Grosfeld "Glassic" lucite ring pulls with sunburs...
Category
1940s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
French Art Deco Secretary Attributed to René Prou
By René Prou
Located in Paris, FR
Beautiful French sycamore veneer secretary framed with gilded brass details, the fall front decorated with the original cafe au lait coloured leather, inside is the drawer and elegan...
Category
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Sycamore
Ramsay French Mid-Century Dark Green Lacquered Secretary
Located in New York, NY
French Mid-Century (1940s) dark green lacquered drop front secretary with bronze dore rope design and trim (signed RAMSAY )
Category
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
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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