Secretaires
78
to
19
44
32
78
78
78
175
117
109
92
80
74
70
56
28
27
26
26
14
9
4
4
1
1
4
63
11
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
77
37
32
20
18
65
32
10
7
6
1
1
1
1
1
Secretaires For Sale
Style: Art Nouveau
Style: Empire
Mahogany Architects Table by Jean-Joseph Chapuis, 1810
Located in Hellouw, NL
Beautiful Empire mahogany architects table by Jean-Joseph Chapuis (1765-1864).
Jean-Joseph Chapuis (born in Brussels) was a famous furniture maker. He obtained a master craftsman ti...
Category
Early 1800s Belgian Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Antique French Empire Mahogany Gilt-Bronze Mounted Marble-Top Abattant Secretary
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique Imported French Empire Flame Mahogany Gilt-Bronze Mounted Marble-Top Abattant Secretary Desk
This 19th-century French Empire-style secretary desk is a true work of art. Craf...
Category
19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Brass
Antique Danish Louis Philippe Empire Style Mahogany Secretary Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique Danish Louis Philippe Empire Style Mahogany Secretary Desk
This exquisite 19th-century secretary desk beautifully combines the influence of the Louis Philippe and Danish Emp...
Category
Late 19th Century Danish Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Metal
Empire Style Secretary Made In Mahogany & Intarsia From 1820s
Located in Lejre, DK
This impressive Empire style secretary from the year 1820 is a true masterpiece of craftsmanship and aesthetic beauty. Hand-polished mahogany wood gives the secretary an elegant and ...
Category
1820s Danish Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Secretaire "a Abbatant" Napoleon III Empire, 19th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Title: Secretaire "a Abbatant"
Date/Period: 19th century
Dimension: 147cm x 105cm x 51cm.
Material: Mahogany wood
Additional Information: Secretaire "a Abbatant" French, Empire Style...
Category
Early 19th Century European Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Baker Furniture French Empire Burl Wood Secrétaire á Abattant With Brass Ormolu
Located in South Bend, IN
An outstanding French Empire or Neoclassical style drop front secretary desk
By Baker Furniture
USA, Circa 1980s
Gorgeous burl wood, with ebonized columns, and original brass hard...
Category
1980s American Empire Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
French Empire Secrétaire á Abattant
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A handsome 19th century Empire secrétaire à abattant made of rich bookmatched and figured walnut. This desk has a black fossil marble top resting above a drawer, accessible with a hidden pull. Below is a fold front door revealing a fitted interior with a functional writing surface, inset with worn green leather with gold tooling. The interior has an open storage shelf flanked with empirical styled columns over a set of six drawers of varying sizes. The writing surface is supported with rounded brass hinges. Below are three easy to use drawers...
Category
19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Brass
Empire Secretaire à abattant, Vienna circa 1810
Located in Greding, DE
Empire secretary adorned with flanking caryatids around the flat writing flap, top drawer, and a two-door base cabinet. The caryatids are elegantly ebonized and gold-patinated, compl...
Category
1810s Austrian Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
19th Century Secretary Desk
Located in Bradenton, FL
A very handsome late American Empire Mahogany Secretary Desk. Very good condition overall with an old refinished surface exhibiting a beautiful color and patina to the figured Mahoga...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Empire Secretary à abattant, France early 19th century
Located in Greding, DE
French Empire secretary à abattant with a two-door base, two wide drawers and a flat writing flap surrounded by smooth full columns with fire-gilt bronze capitals and bases. The bure...
Category
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Leather, Mahogany, Maple
Empire Secretaire, Ebonized Wood, Maple, Ink Painting, Vienna circa 1815
Located in Regensburg, DE
Very fine neoclassical Empire Secretaire or writing cabinet from Austria, Vienna around 1810/15.
Ebonized hardwood body, veneered on oak. Pilaster columns with gilded capitals. All g...
Category
1810s Austrian Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Brass, Iron, Gold Leaf
20th Century Biedermeier Style Napoleon Secretaire
Located in Berlin, DE
Bird’s-eye maple root veneer on solid pinewood. Gilded chimeras. Finely engraved bronze fixtures.
(L-Sam-252).
Category
20th Century Empire Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
c1810 French Empire Flame Mahogany Secretary
Located in Opa Locka, FL
c1810 French Empire Flame Mahogany Secretary. Opens to reveal lovely storage space. There are nooks, shelves, a pull out writing surface. There are gilt bronze adornments and there a...
Category
1810s French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Wood
19th Century Russian Antique Veneered Mahogany Secretary by Heinrich Gambs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique Russian secretary with a writing flap made of hand crafted shellac polished, partly veneered Mahogany, designed and produced by Heinrich G...
Category
Early 19th Century Russian Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Metal, Brass
Rare North German Altona Empire Secretary, circa 1810-1815
Located in Handewitt, DE
Beautiful and rare original North German "Altona" Secretary, circa 1810-1820. Fine cuba-mahogany, Birch and elmwood veneer. Inlays in different woods. Original fittings in bronze and...
Category
1810s German Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
Circa 1810 Empire Period Secretaire à Abatant
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Empire period, c.1810, Secretaire à Abatant, French. Walnut. Demi-columns with bronze dore mounts. Bronze dore pulls & escutcheons. Chic black marble top with white-grey figure. Grea...
Category
1810s French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Mahogany, Oak & Marble Secretaire with Ormolu Mounts
Located in Middleburg, VA
Important Secretaire a Abattant, Paris, Empire, circa 1805. Mahogany on oak, marble top, ormolu mounts. Caryatides, trophy weapons, fasces, antique Roman and Egyptian ornamentation a...
Category
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Marble
Rare North German Altona Empire Secretary, C. 1810-1815
Located in Handewitt, DE
Beautiful and rare original North German "Altona" Secretary, circa 1810-1820. Fine cuba-mahogany, Birch and elmwood veneer. Inlays in different woods. Original fittings in bronze and...
Category
Early 19th Century German Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
Antique Secretary, Scandinavia, Around 1870, After Renovation
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique secretary from the end of the 19th century.
Furniture in very good condition, after professional renovation.
Dimensions: height 210 cm ...
Category
1870s Norwegian Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Empire Style Walnut Dressing Table
Located in Pasadena, TX
Empire Style Walnut Dressing Table
Empire style dressing table in burl walnut with 2 drawers. Venetian glass pulls. The flap reveals a large origina...
Category
Late 19th Century Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Empire Secretaire with Writing Desk, Richly Inlaid Wood. Italy Late 18th Century
Located in Torino, IT
"Empire" cylinder writing desk, secretaire with pull-out top, internal drawers and four external drawers.
Origin
Italy
Period
Late eighteenth century
Model
Cylinder writing des...
Category
Late 18th Century Italian Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Antique Empire Cylinder-Top Secretary with Bookcase in Burled Ash
Located in Miami, FL
An exceptional Empire secretary bookcase in fine burl ash wood. Denmark or North Germany, circa 1800. The bookcase features a tiered bonnet w...
Category
Early 19th Century Scandinavian Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Ash, Burl
Early 19th Century Biedermeier Empire Secretary, Germany, Prussia, C. 1815
Located in Greven, DE
North Germany / Prussia
Birch
Biedermeier / Empire around 1815
Dimensions: H x W x D: 174 x 102 x 55 cm
Description:
Very exclusive secretary from the Prussian North German Biedermeier period around 1815.
Piece of furniture standing on pointed legs with two drawers at the bottom, the writing flap above, another drawer above and a hidden head drawer at the very top.
The piece of furniture is veneered in exciting grained birch wood. Due to the different color hangings within the wood and the interplay of hues associated with it, we also refer to it as "flamed" birch.
The beautiful wood is complemented by blackened moldings and beautiful fire-gilded bronze hardware in beautiful quality.
The interior of the writing compartment is veneered in apple tree.
We see a stair-like rise to a central door flanked by pilasters. Drawers of different sizes and two large compartments with dividers for letters and papers complete the secretary part.
Looking at the piece of furniture from above, we see an old shipping label. According to it, the secretary was loaded onto the train at the station "Odertor" in Wroclaw. The destination was probably Berin. Corresponding mmarkings we find on the back panel.
Piece of furniture made in wonderful quality craftsmanship. A true testament to the high quality of Prussian furniture...
Category
Early 19th Century German Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Birch, Fruitwood
Danish Late Empire Mahogany With Inlay Bureau / Secretair
Located in Kastrup, DK
Rare Danish early 19th century secretary or slant front bureau.
Exquisitely crafted from mahogany with fabulous marquetry decoration in black n...
Category
Early 19th Century Danish Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Bone, Mahogany, Satinwood, Walnut
French Empire Brass Mounted, Light Walnut, & Ebonized Secretary, 1stq 19th Cen.
Located in Atlanta, GA
Having a rectangular top above a conforming case housing three drawers, one faux drawer, and a fall front desk with a leather writing surface and interior shelving and secret drawers...
Category
1810s French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Museum Essay / Tabernacle Around 1810, Walnut
Located in Berlin, DE
Museum essay/tabernacle around 1810, walnut.
Extremely rare and high-quality tabernacle with very elaborate and rich inlaid marquetry in walnut/root veneer on fir wood.
High construction consisting of 3 elements. The tabernacle has many drawers...
Category
Early 19th Century Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Walnut, Fir
Burr Walnut Clapper Empire Secretaire with Detached Columns and Secret Drawer
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This beautiful Empire clapper secretaire is made of burr walnut. It has very elegant detached columns with Fine chiseled bronze elements on top and bottom of each column. Inside of the secretaire there is leather desk and several drawers including a secret drawer...
Category
1850s French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
French Empire Mahogany Drop Front Secretary "Secrétaire à Abattant"
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Early 19th century French mahogany wood Empire style drop front secretary with a removable black marble top. The secretary features two front side columns with bronze mounts detail w...
Category
1810s French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Empire secretaire à abattant, France around 1810
Located in Greding, DE
Secretary in mahogany veneer with two-door bottom part as well as dark marble shelf and fire-gilded fittings. Behind the writing flap with brown leather there are more drawers and co...
Category
1810s French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century Swedish Country Empire Pine Secretaire
Located in Kramfors, SE
Unusual country secretaire from the empire period Northern Sweden, 1820 to 1840. Painted with the original faux paint and in original condition. The secretaire is made in Swedish pin...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Pine
20th Century Viennese Biedermeier Style Lyre Secretaire
Located in Berlin, DE
Ebonize, partially bird’s-eye maple root veneer on solid Pinewood. Moulded Lions Masks with grisp rings. This so called lyre secretaire is the crowning...
Category
20th Century Empire Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
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
19th Century Empire Walnut Secretary
Located in Houston, TX
French first Empire period Secretaire à Abattant, also known as a drop-front secretary, fall front or cantilevered desk. Under the dark grey marble top is a secret, entablature drawe...
Category
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Ormolu
Royal Writing Desk/ Bureau Plat in Empire Style After J. Desmalter, Maple Root
Located in Berlin, DE
Writing table/ bureau plat in Empire style after Jacob Desmalter
Maple Roots with thread intarsia on solid Pinewood, partially carved and handpainted. Cutted out pedestal on profile...
Category
20th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
19th Century French Empire desk Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
Beautiful upright secrétaire from the French Empire period. The desk is made of oak with burr walnut veneer, decorated with bronze ormolu elements. These are typical of the French Em...
Category
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
Large 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
19th Century, Empire Secretaire, Mahogany Feather, Gilded Bronze
Located in PALERMO, IT
Empire secretaire, veneered in mahogany feather wood, and adorned with applications in finely chiseled bronze, and gilded with mercury. Upper top in marble.
Category
19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Empire St. Mahogany, Ormolu, Bronze & Fruitwood Secretary
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A most handsome Continental mid 19th century Empire st. mahogany, ormolu, patinated bronze and ebonized fruitwood drop front secretary. The secretary is raised by four square tapered...
Category
19th Century Unknown Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Empire Secrétaire Bottega Maggiolini Walnut Italy 19th Century
By Giuseppe Maggiolini
Located in Milano, IT
Secrétaire consisting of drawer under the plan, tilting door, with cabinet and two drawers at the bottom. Veneered in pedulle walnut and inlaid in various woods. The secrétaire is bi...
Category
19th Century Italian Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
19th Century Scandinavian Birch Empire Bureau Secretary with Bookcase, c. 1820
Located in Miami, FL
A very fine Scandinavian Empire/Biedermeier secretary in beautiful birch wood with mahogany interior, Denmark, circa 1820. The highly sculptural form makes this piece an outstanding ...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Birch
French Secretaire à Abattant, First Empire Period
Located in Montreal, Quebec
French first Empire period Secretaire à Abattant, also known as a drop-front secretary, fall front or cantilevered desk. Under the dark grey marble top is a secret, entablature drawe...
Category
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Unique Austrian Empire Secretary/Writing Desk, Mahogany, 1820s Austria
Located in Horomerice, CZ
Empire secretary or writing desk, (Cylinder)
Material: Mahogany.
Completely restored, Shellac polish.
Period: 1820-1829
Source: Austria, Wien.
Category
1820s Austrian Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Mahogany, Lacquer
Antique Danish Late Empire Secretary Bureau
Located in Kastrup, DK
Late empire secretary bureau in mahogany veneered oak with beautiful grain.
In 2 parts.
Desk top offers three bowed doors. A concave door in the mid...
Category
Early 19th Century European Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany, Oak
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
Empire Drop Front Desk, Kopenhagen, 1820
Located in Belmont, MA
Empire drop front desk, Copenhagen 1810-20.
This unique Danish secretary desk is embellished with mahogany veneer. The lower part has three cur...
Category
1810s Danish Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
French Empire Mahogany Bureau à Cylindre Writing Table, circa 1810
Located in Rome, IT
A French gilt-metal mounted mahogany bureau à cylindre writing desk.
With a grey marble top over three drawers, the fall enclosing a sliding tan lea...
Category
19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Large Empire Bureau Of Hand Polished Mahogany With Inlaid Wood from 1820s
Located in Lejre, DK
This grand Empire bureau is a testament to the exquisite craftsmanship of the 1820s, crafted from hand-polished mahogany adorned with intricate inlaid wood detailing. Its imposing pr...
Category
1820s Danish Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Superb 19th Century French Empire Escritoire
Located in Dallas, TX
Marvelous 19th century French Empire three-drawer escritoire with lovely Breche africaine marble top. Having detailed bronze mounts in urn and floral motifs, columnar supports with p...
Category
19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Wood
19th Century Empire Dutch Mahogany Secretaire Bureau Inlay 1800
Located in Roma, RM
Dutch mobile for the American market, Empire period, we are faced with the great Dutch market that adapted its furniture for every nation that requested it, styling in the best way f...
Category
Early 1800s Dutch Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century French Empire Secretary from Countess of Schulenburg-Wolfsburg
Located in Berlin, DE
French Empire secretary 1815 from Countess of Schulenburg-Wolfsburg.
High-quality Cuba mahogany on solid oak. Fire gilded, finely chiselled fi...
Category
19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Oak
20th Century Empire Style Courtly Lion Secretaire
Located in Berlin, DE
Bird’s eye maple on solid pinewood, partially ebonized. Finely engraved Empire bronze fixtures.
(L-Sam-301).
Category
20th Century Empire Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
19th Century Lion Secretary Empire Berlin
Located in Berlin, DE
Cuba mahogany on solid oak and softwood partly ebonized. High-rise, architecturally designed corpus. In the front three drawers of different sizes. Straight writing board, behind it ...
Category
Early 19th Century German Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
Desk Walnut Art Nouveau with Brass Fittings, Fitted Interior, with Brass Accents
By Murray-Kay Limited
Located in Toronto, CA
A beautiful drop front desk in walnut with interesting fitted interior. Great Art Nouveau brass fitted hardware and details. Presented to Dr. Anthony Stewart of Palmerston Ontario by appreciative friends in 1911
tags Murray -Kay Ltd which existed between 1910 and 1923. This recently restored desk...
Category
Early 20th Century Canadian Art Nouveau Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Classicist/Empire Clapperboard Secretary, circa 1790
Located in Berlin, DE
Classicist/Empire clapperboard secretary, circa 1790
Solid wood veneered with walnut. High-quality top on short tapered square legs, straight two-tier body, sloping writing flap a...
Category
Late 18th Century German Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Walnut, Wood
Antique Empire Style Secretary with Brass and Marble Top mahogany veneer
Located in Berlin, DE
Mahogany veneer on solid conifers. High-right corpus on chased bronze claw feet. Architecturally articulated front with library dummy and brass rim sockets. On both sides slightly co...
Category
20th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
French Empire Mahogany Bureau à Cylindre Writing Table, circa 1810
Located in Rome, IT
A French gilt-metal mounted mahogany bureau à cylindre writing desk.
With a grey marble top over three drawers, the fall enclosing a sliding tan leather writing surface, an interior...
Category
19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Flame Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Commode with Rouge Griotte By Molitor
By Molitor
Located in Stamford, CT
A superbly crafted French Empire commode with Rouge Griotte marble top by Molitor. A pair of these commodes were acquired by King Jerome between 1809 and 1812 and listed in the i...
Category
Early 1800s French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Ormolu-Mounted Mahogany Pedestal Desk in the Empire Style
Located in London, GB
A fine French late 19th century mahogany and ormolu pedestal desk with tooled leather top in the Empire style, having nine drawers, one containing a locking secret compartment, with ...
Category
Late 19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Ormolu
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.
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Antique English Bureau
English Secretary
Antique Cubby Cabinet
Slant Front Desk With Drawers
Swedish Cabinet Secretary
Oak Drop Front
Drop Front Cabinet Small
Antique Wood Secretary Desk
Secretary Furniture Antique Antique Secretary Desks
Antique Desk Wood Desks And Secretaries
Antique Wood Desk Desks And Secretaries
Vintage Writing Secretary Desk
Vintage Writing Desk Desks And Secretaries
Drop Front Secretary Desk
Antique Secretaire Chest
Secretary Desk And Bookcase
Secretary Desk Bookcase
19th Century Mahogany Secretary