French Empire Secrétaire á Abattant

This wonderful walnut secre´taire a` abattant was constructed in the style of Louis XVI during the 19th century. Topped with a great piece of black and white marble. A single, slim d...

A mahogany secrétaire made in England circa 1890. This secrétaire is topped with a broken pediment design over a pair of glass front doors that open with a working lock and key. Insi...

A statley 19th century mahogany secre´taire a` abattant from France, circa 1810. This desk has an exceptional charcoal marble top resting above a single drawer disguised into the apron. Just below the top drawer, the front of the desk folds forward to reveal a work area inset with vibrant red leather detailed with gold tooling. The leather is in great antique condition making this a comfortable place to work. When open, you can see the theatre is equipped with five drawers and a large, arched top cubby flanked with column forms. With the desk down the maximum depth is 32”; the writing surface is 28-½” heigh. The desk front...

An impressive 19th century birch secretary made in the Netherlands circa 1800. The exterior is simple in design, celebrating the beautifully figured burl and bookmatched birch wood. ...

A wonderful walnut secretary desk. The desk can be separated into two bodies: the lower writing surface, and the upper glass-front cabinet. The writing surface is covered in beautifu...

This is a darling petite lady’s writing desk from France circa 1850. Sleek and uncluttered design, typical of its Louis XVI style. A wonderful white marble top is encircled by an ele...

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...

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...

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...

This secretaire a abattant is the in French Empire style and is veneered in Cuban acajou mahogany, with bronze doré mounts and a gray Saint Anne marble top. Dimensions Closed: Height: 56.5 in. (143.51 cm) Width: 38 in. (96.52 cm) Depth: 15.75 in. (40.01 cm) Overall Cabinet Depth with the slant-front opened is 33.75". The desk top/slant opened is 21.38" deep. The piece has three lower drawers which are lockable (key included) and the single hidden drawer at the top. The interior has five document and accessory storage drawers. The fall-front (which locks) retains its original tooled leather border (with a Greek-Key pattern) and a later replacement dark green felt.   The bronze doré mounts on the drawers are cornucopias which symbolize bounty. The fall-front has a mount with scrolling roses and foliage. There are two mounts with a male and female profile. The male has a baby owl on his helmet which symbolizes wisdom. And hanging from the females hair-band is a peacock which symbolizes the ability to see all. The fall front desk can be considered the cousin of the secretary desk. Both have a main working surface or desktop which does double duty as a cover to seal up papers and other items located in small shelves or small drawers placed one on top of the other in front of the user. Thus, all working papers, documents and other items have to be stored before the desk is closed. Unlike the secretary desk, the fall front desk's desktop panel is in a perfectly vertical position when in its closed position. Often, there are no additional shelves or drawers above the section which is enclosed by the desktop. Thus, the fall front desk is identical in shape to a Barguen~o desk which would have been placed on a Stand of drawers, or more precisely to the form known as Desk on a chest or as "chest-on chest". The fall front desk is also called a drop front desk or drop-front desk, and sometimes also a drop lid desk...

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...

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...