Wood Secretaires

18th Century Country French neoclassical secretary is a splendid example of the genre, dating to the reign of Louis XVI himself! The period saw ...

An Italian Rococo style two-part secretary from the mid-19th century, with slanted desk, mirrored doors and original paint. How not to fall head over heels in love with this Rococo s...

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...

With double arched top over a pair of arched mirror doors opening to a red interior fitted with drawers and shelves, the base with slant lid des...

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

Golden birch veneered drop front secretary desk with three drawers and reverse painted glass panel of stylized Egyptian women and a chariot...

Mahogany bureau bookcase from Baltimore, Maryland of exceptional quality. Design is most like examples from shop of John Needles while tapering columnar supports and finely carved el...

This gorgeous Louis XV Secretary desk dates back to around 1750-60 and was made in France. The secretaire de dame has a kingwood veneer and a v...

Handcrafted, this piece has been obviously been designed and created with love. Elegant intarsia inlays adorn the outside of this case piece. Inside hides a whimsical array of storag...

English secretary with glass door and three glass shelves, leather inlay on desk surface, original glass panels, 19th Century. There is one ...

French late 19th century Louis Philippe secretary with a mahogany veneer. The top drawer front folds down and pulls out to reveal a leather wr...

A detailed, vintage Art Deco French secretaire made of hand crafted polished, partly veneered Birchwood and Burlwood, in good condition. The medium sized cabinet...

This is a Swedish Baroque secretary hutch. It was found at an Estate Auction in Uppsala, Sweden.

A George II style flame mahogany bureau, the sloping fall enclosing a fitted interior of faux book and hidden drawers and cabinets, the staircase gallery interior, above a short frie...

This mid-nineteenth century French Louis XVI style commode secretary features fluted bronze columns at the corners with striated bronze plaques above and below. Additional bronze ban...

An antique Eastlake secretary offers paneled walnut construction with upper having shaped crest surmounting shelf and slant front opening to writing...

Very good inlaid Georgian secretary with a falconer pediment, probably by Gillows. The secretary features glazed doors surrounded by inlaid stop flu...

This newly restored vintage John Stuart campaign 2 drawer desk and or writing desk is white lacquered over wood with chrome handles and 2 X-frame ...

Stately Mahogany inlaid leather top secretary desk, London England 1860-1875 by Cabinetmakers Edwards and Roberts. Moulded cornice over arched glazed panel doors with green fabric lined interior above a rolled front inlaid fan, shell and scroll decoration. Pull out embossed green leather writing surface above graduated drawers on narrow feet: stamped "Edwards and Roberts" on top drawers edge. Famous cabinetry makers. The firm Edwards and Roberts were among the best English antique furniture cabinet makers of the second half of the nineteenth century. The company was founded in 1845 and by 1854 was trading as ‘Edwards and Roberts’, 21 Wardour Street, ‘Antique and Modern Cabinet...

The top interior of this English Chippendale secretary has three adjustable shelves and five drawers. The interior has a center prospect ...

Exquisite and Rare antique American Chippendale Period secretary writing desk or Escritoire. Made from maple featuring a flip top that ope...

This Italian secretary dates back to the 1780s. Item features a dozen hidden compartments as featured in the video. Origin; Italy.

The top of this secretary has shaped raised panels. It has the original four lever lock and key. The top is fully fitted out with drawers and cubby holes. T...

The top section of this secretary has three adjustable shelves and has two candlestick pullouts. The interior has a raised panel prospect door flanked by two carved fluted pilaster p...

A flame mahogany and rosewood banded Bureau cabinet, with an architectural cornice centred by a gilt crest, above two glazed doors enclosing 45 drawers and 19 pigeon holes above two ...

A fine & rare antique George III Sheraton inlaid mahogany bookcase secretary, circa 1795. A diminutive bureau bookcase In two parts, the top having a stepped cornice with twin doors below, the doors having very unusual astragal decoration of neo-classical urns with swags & surmounted with 'Prince of Wales' fleur des lys finials, the doors enclosing three shelves and three short inlaid drawers. The base having an inlaid fall front & oval floral paterae enclosing a fitted interior with six pigeon holes four drawers and a central locking door with shell inlay, the writing surface having a red 'bull's blood' tooled & gilded leather. Below are three inlaid drawers with the original brass handles, the base having a single 'secret' drawer and the bookcase is raised on tall 'French' bracket feet. This rare and unusual Georgian bookcase secretary...

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 ...

American Victorian two-piece walnut secretary cabinet with a base having a drawer whose front folds down to create a desktop with interior drawers and green felt over two doors with ...

A shaped cabinet with a scrolled bonnet, a centre compartment with door opening to two shaped shelves, flanked by curved side compartments (one shelf inside at the left). Below is a ...

Design details indicate that this secretary was made at the end of the Biedermeier period as interest in historical periods bloomed. The uppermost drawer is curved in the classic Biedermeier/Louis Philippe design, favored between 1830-1860, as does the raised display platform resting on the top surface of the piece. The choice of carefully selected French walnut veneers...

Place this elegant, antique "Secretaire a Battant" in an office or a bedroom. Crafted in Paris circa 1920, the tall fruitwood secretary stands on cabriole legs ending with bronze sabots feet over a scalloped apron. The cabinet features intricate marquetry and parquetry decor, decorative bronze mounts, and is topped with a black marble top. The cabinet has classical and straight lines, and many useful compartments, including four large drawers across the front (one at the top, three at the bottom). The cabinet has a center door decorated with floral motifs, which pulls down to reveal a fully outfitted inside theater. The inside has five drawers, (including a large one at the top and bottom), and a wide open niche for books and letters...

This elegant, antique fruitwood "Secretaire a Abattant" was crafted in France, circa 1840; the tall secretary with classical straight lines features a shaped top over a frieze drawer. The fall front opens and reveals a fully outfitted inside theater decorated with turned columns on the sides, six functioning drawers, and a wide open niche for books and letters...

Antique 19th century Dutch oak drop front bombe secretary with a 3-drawer bombe front and carved ball and claw feet. The drop front has writing area and...

"Extremely rare 1 of a kind early Kittinger Spanish Colonial fall front secretary or library desk. A Rectangular form made from solid walnut with tra...

A beautiful example of an early American Empire chest with full-column front and stand-up butlers desk. Provides ample storage as a chest of drawers, and doubles as a secretary with ...

Baroque secretary desk, Switzerland, 1750. This gorgeous baroque secretary desk stands out for its very pretty walnut veneer. The writing flap opens...

A French Louis XV period Rococo secretary with hidden compartment, circa 1760. This antique French writing desk features a slant-leaf front...

Beautiful 19thc Robin’s egg blue secretary/fall front desk.

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...

Origin: Denmark Designer: Unknown Manufacturer: Unknown Era: 1960s Materials: Rosewood Measurements: 39.5? wide x 17.75? deep x 33.25? tall Condition: In excellent original ...

Biedermeier secretary desk, South German 1820. This unique and very beautiful secretary desk dates back to the early phase of the Biedermeie...

Dutch secretary desk, Netherlands, around 1800. This elegantly curved secretary desk has three spacious drawers in the lower part. The writing flap ...

A vintage Mid-Century Modern Swedish secretary desk signed by the A.B. Svenska Moebel Fabrikerna (SMF), one of the largest furniture manufacture...

This secretaire desk was designed by Jacques Adnet, and was made in Tamo Ash Wood. The style of this secretaire features sleek lines, geometric shapes and a ...

A superb late 19th century gilt bronze mounted Louis XVI style Bureau à Cylindre Possibly François Linke for Maison Krieger In the manner of Adam Weisweiler Cajou, platane trellis-parquetry, ébène and buis stringings, the rounded corner marble top above three small drawers, the cylinder front opening to a gilt-tooled leather lined writing slide and five small drawers, the frieze fitted with three drawers, the central drawer, with spring-loaded secret release, is decorated with an ormolu relief plaque which depicts a group of putti at play, the two side drawers with hidden key...

Biedermeier secretary desk, South west German, 1820. This beautiful drop front desk has three drawers in the lower part, they are embellish...

Rustic Old Hickory hutch with natural log legs, a slatted table top & shelf, one drawer, decorative cutouts & rope trim (SIGNED with brand: Old Hicko...

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...

An Indonesian antique handmade slant-front desk from the 19th century, with raised panels and inner drawers. Created in Indonesia during the 19th century, this secretaire features a ...

Rustic 19th century Country French secretary ~ Cabinet is the perfect choice for the casual decor! The design centers around efficiency, with hand-forged iron hinges and latchworks t...

Unique antique secretary with a whitewash aged finish to the white oak. Two large glass doors at the top with adjustable shelves. Decorative carving in the doors. This piece ha...

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 piece just took our breath away - all the carved wood details and medallions are master craftsman quality. See all detail images to truly appreciate what an excellent antique pi...

This English Chippendale secretary has a broken arch cornice with dentil molding and open fretwork in the arch. The upper section has thr...

Louis XVI secretary bookcase, South German 1780. Elegant and unique secretary bookcase with beautiful cherry veneer and Louis XVI style geometric ...

Empire drop front desk, Copenhagen 1810-20. This unique Danish secretary desk is embellished with mahogany veneer. The lower part has three cur...

An exceptional Spanish vargueno or collector cabinet with a sophisticated assemblage of decorated drawers and cabinets on the interior with columnar accents. The exterior with except...

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...