Secretaires
Secretaires For Sale
Color: Black
English Secretary, Cabinet with Mahogany Glass Top, circa 1850, Victorian
Located in Berlin, DE
High rectangular carcass, two doors. over it extendable writing board provided with several drawers and shelves. Rear-mounted glass top with rung glazing. Extremely rare in this vers...
Category
1840s English Victorian Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
French 19th C. Second Empire Secrétaire À Abattant with Gold Ormolu Mounts
Located in Savannah, GA
This extraordinary French Second Empire period secre´taire a' abattan features flame mahogany, gilt brass-mounts and retains its original dark grey speckled granite top. Decorated th...
Category
1850s French Napoleon III Antique Secretaires
Materials
Granite, Brass, Ormolu
Fine and Rare 18th C Georgian Black Lacquered and Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine and rare 18th century Georgian black lacquered and Chinoiserie decorated elaborate secretary.
Category
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Secretaires
Materials
Wood
19th Century German Black Forest Chip-Carved Suite Desk with Drawer and Chair
Located in Vero Beach, FL
19th century German black forest chip-carved suite desk with drawer and chair.
Impressive and extremely rare Black Forest desk and chair. The rectangul...
Category
19th Century German Black Forest Antique Secretaires
Materials
Pine
Louis XV Gold and Bronze Desk, 1950s
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Small desk with drawers. Finely decorated with gold and fake turtle, Boulle style. handles and details in gilded bronze.
Packaging with bubble...
Category
1950s Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
Demi Lune Bureau Art Deco Style Secretaire Desk in Black Lacquer with Cannelure
Located in Ulm, DE
Fluted, semicircular secretary with drawers
Piano lacquer in high-gloss black
Interior in birdseye maple
Mid Century, Art Deco Style, Fran...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Birdseye Maple, Lacquer
Tesselated Black Marble Stone and Brass Inlay Secretaire by Maitland-Smith
Located in Casteren, NL
A monumental secretaire made by Maitland-Smith in the late 20th century. The whole piece was decorated with tessellated black marble and solid brass inlaid Greek key pattern. The low...
Category
1980s Philippine Greek Revival Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Brass
18th Century Black Swedish Gustavian Oak Bureau - Antique Drop Front Secretaire
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique Swedish Gustavian bureau made of hand crafted painted Oakwood, in good condition. The Scandinavian writing table, desk features man...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires
Materials
Metal, Brass
The Secretary by Jonathan Nesci in Powder Coated Aluminum Plate with Leather
Located in Columbus, IN
The Secretary: Designed by American industrial and furniture designer Jonathan Nesci, and is made of powder-coated aluminum, steel, and leather.
___
This is a beautifully built...
Category
2010s American Minimalist Secretaires
Materials
Aluminum
Rare Golden Lacquer and Brass Maison Jansen Secretary Cabinet 1970s
Located in Paris, IDF
An exciting example of French design firm Maison Jansen’s commissioned pieces. This secretary cabinet is made from solid mahogany, lacquered in a rich dark brown and bronze–golden fi...
Category
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Georgian Fall-Front Secretary Desk in Carved Oak, England, circa 1800
Located in Miami, FL
Early 19th century oak English fall-front secretary with carvings of acanthus leaves and urns.
Note: Relaxed, antique condition. Drawers are working well and original brasses are com...
Category
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Secretaires
Materials
Oak
Michel Pigneres Brass Chrome Black Cabinet Secretaire, 1970s
Located in Paris, IDF
Unique French Mid-Century Modern cabinet secrétaire by Michel Pigneres made in the early 1970s. This piece is an exquisite example of refined, highly detailed and very well made furn...
Category
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Brass, Chrome
Contemporary Art Writing Desk Amanuense Nero Black by Adolfo Natalini
Located in Pistoia, IT
Limited edition of 99 numbered and signed copies.
Amanuense, decoded in his characterizing elements (the functional nature of the writing desk-Sécret...
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
Cabinet with Gold Leaf Detail
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Cabinet with gold leaf detail
Product features: Poplar, six different finishes:
Colored in dark and bright emerald green,
black, gilded i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Pochette Hanging Container Designed by Barbara Schweizer
By Barbara Schweizer
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pochette Is a multifunctional container that can hold small objects such as keys, glasses, phones. It can also be used as vertical garden to place vases and small plants. It is compo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Secretaires
Materials
Iron
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 narrow drawer with a bronze design panel. (stamped: JA...
Category
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
18th Century Italian Silver & Ebonized Wood Bargueño Desk & Chest of Drawers
Located in Marbella, ES
18th century Italian silver and ebonized wood barqueño desk and chest of drawers.
Category
18th Century Italian Antique Secretaires
Materials
Silver
Chinese Export Lacquer Bureau on Stand and Toilet Glass Dressing Table
Located in London, by appointment only
A Chinese export lacquer bureau on stand decorated with an unusual polychrome flower design
This Chinese lacquer bureau on stand was made in ...
Category
Early 18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Secretaires
Materials
Lacquer
18th Century Spanish Colonial Vargueno Set on a 19th Century Mission Chest
Located in Hudson, NY
This interesting two-part piece of furniture is an example of the Spanish dominion over the Americas during the global colonization associated with Empire and trade supremacy. The to...
Category
Mid-18th Century Mexican Baroque Antique Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Rare Sesamo Secretary by Frattini for Bernini
Located in Munich, DE
Designed by Gianfranco Frattini in 1981 and made by Bernini. Signed and in good condition.
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Secretaires
Materials
Wood
18th C. Louis XV Bureau Scriban Bibliotec Secretary Cabinet Mahogany Antiques LA
Located in West Hollywood, CA
18th century Louis XV Bureau Scriban Bibliotic Secretary Cabinet Mahogany Antiques LA. An important rare and Tall Scribing bibliotic secre...
Category
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Secretaires
Materials
Wrought Iron, Metal, Metallic Thread
19th Century Hand Painted Secretary with Hidden Drawers and Floral Decorations
Located in Sofia, BG
Secretary with "lacquered" decoration in the style of Coromandel lacquers decorated with chrysanthemums, flower vases and other beautiful objects. Rectangular, it opens with four dra...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Secretaires
Materials
Wood
19th Century Venetian Secretaire
Located in New York, NY
A painted Venetian secretaire with shelves and drawers on bottom portion of body.
Category
19th Century Antique Secretaires
Louis XVI-Style Mahogany and Marble-Top Secretaire Abbatant, Early 19th Century
Located in Savannah, GA
Louis XVI-Style Mahogany and Marble-Top Secretaire Abbatant, Early 19th Century. The inset variegated white marble top with a three-quarter pierced brass gallery and turreted corne...
Category
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Brass
Unique Symmetrical Art Deco Desk French Style
Located in Oakland, CA
Unique Art Deco desk has truly unusual and lyrical lines. The undulating base opens to reveal secret storage along with the two drawers on both sides. We like those square drawer pul...
Category
1930s Argentine Art Deco Vintage Secretaires
Materials
Burl
Arbalete Front Chinoiserie Writing Desk, Italy, 18th Century
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Slant/drop front secrétaire commode, with arbalete front. Louis XIV style, decorated with hand-painted chinoiserie scenes.
A very rare and exquisite piece.
Category
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Secretaires
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
Italian Empire Neoclassical Walnut and Parcel-Gilt Secretary
Located in New York, NY
Italian Empire neoclassical walnut and parcel-gilt secretary Handsome masculine Empire campaign desk on stand with pivoting dressing mirror below balustraded cornice with ball finial...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Empire Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mirror, Giltwood, Walnut
Donald Deskey Style Art Deco Skyscraper Design Secretary Wall Cabinet or Desk
Located in Westport, CT
In the style of Donald Deskey, Art Deco skyscraper design, cabinet/secretary desk, with draw compartments and desk, book shelf compartment. Functional dark mahogany wood, with nickel...
Category
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Secretaires
Materials
Nickel
George III Mahogany Standing Bureau, Great Library Accent Piece, Good Color.
Located in Buchanan, MI
A George III mahogany standing bureau, great library accent piece.
Category
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
French Black Secretary Desk, 2010s
Located in LEGNY, FR
Really nice French secretary desk called "L'astucieux" means "the clever".
Swivel writing part with a wooden base which hold it. The base can be tidy up on the right side of the secretary. Many drawers. Very narrow secretary.
Category
2010s French Secretaires
Materials
Wood
19th Century Gustavian Tall Black Writing Desk Secretaire, Sweden 1820
Located in Berlin, DE
This beautiful 19th century Gustavian tall black writing desk secretaire was made in Sweden around 1820. It remains its original paint and is in a ...
Category
1820s Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires
Materials
Pine
Mid Century Black Lacquer & Brass Secretary Desk by Maison Jansen
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Mid century Maison Jansen black lacquered secretary desk with brass inlay's.
Category
20th Century French Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Regency Revival Bookcase Secretaire
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Lovely Regency Revival chiffonier / bookcase secretaire with two drawers over two doors with brass radial screen. Upper case has two shelves and scrolled supports. Gilt accents to eb...
Category
20th Century American Regency Revival Secretaires
Materials
Brass
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