British Secretaires

A fine English mid-18th century mahogany secretaire / secretary / bookcase / china cabinet. Of lovely, deep, rich color, patina and quality. George III-period, circa 1760. The bold, detachable, swan-neck pediment carved with 'Gothic' open fretwork, spiral rosettes and a dentil cornice. The pediment is centred by a small platform below which is a fluted panel. The bookcase / china cabinet section with two, thirteen-pane glazed doors, with three original adjustable shelves with applied beadings for the display of china etc. The base with a pull-out writing section fitted with small drawers, two of which have secret releases. These secret drawers are faced with blind-fret 'Gothic' tracery, and centred by a carved, shaped arch. The base with three cock-beaded drawers, and raised on its original bracket feet which are faced with blind fret. This fine, sophisticated and well-proportioned example of a secretaire / secretary / cabinet / desk / bookcase is remarkable for having survived in its original state including all swan-neck handles and locks. Of superb quality, color, patination, and well figured throughout. With mahogany drawer linings: further confirmation of its superlative quality. Measures: 42" wide (107 cm) 23" deep 58.5 cm) 95" high (241 cm) - without cartouche. A related antique bureau cabinet...

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...

Antique ship's or captain's secretary, so-called Military Campaign Chest of Drawers England Mahogany, brass Victorian around 1890 Dimensions: H x W x D: 135 x 92 x 52 cm D...

This is a charming George l style walnut diminutive secretary. The domed cornice over a conforming vitrine cabinet . The bottom section contains a drop-front opening to reveal a leat...

A very fine and elaborated 19th century Chinoiserie red lacquered slant front secretary. Hand painted and raised decoration. The interior with pigeon holes and drawers and a writing ...

RARE AND IMPORTANT ENGLISH STATIONERY GEORGE III 18th Century in lacquered wood in shades of red. Decoration with gold chinoiseries representing birds, fantastic animals and pagodas...

A superb quality late 18th century Georgian mahogany secretaire cupboard having well figured and banded top over one secretaire drawer to frieze, enclosing attractive satinwood in...

An eccentric and highly unusual Classic Sheraton style mahogany and satinwood inlay slant front secretary with Chinese Chippendale style fine tracery (open-work) decoration. An impre...

Marvelous walnut cabinets with dental moulding, rose floral trim, metal lattice doors, leather top drop desk with Baker key, brass hinges and handles. Mirror...

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...

Antique English mahogany glass front Bureau bookcase with Fitted Interior, circa 1830.

George IV Mahogany Secretary Bookcase with Brass Inlay and Ormolu Mounts, England, circa 1830.

Fantastic piece in impeccable condition. Regency exotic hardwood bureau or secretaire desk or cabinet of lovely proportions. From circa 1790. The top portion consists of an open columned pelmet and shelf with a series of drawers underneath. All made of rosewood. The bottom section is a double door cabinet with double shelving inside. The façade of the doors consist of glorious gilded latticework frames with rose shaped connectors and with brown silk blinds...

19th Century Antique English Display Secretaire, Mahogany Solid wood, manufactured to a high quality. The display cabinet has a pull-out function and can be used as a secretary than...

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...

Charles Sydney Spooner, probably made by J H Brandt. A rare oak secretaire cabinet on stand, with quarter veneered panels to the doors and drawers with black and green diamond shaped handles. The doors open to reveal adjustable shelves. The sides and lower stand are all made from solid quarter sawn oak with beautiful figuring. The slightly graduated mouldings to the waist frame the tidy little writing area. Standing on squashed ball feet, united with serpentine entwined stretchers. This is an oak variation of the cabinet Charles Spooner exhibited at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society in 1910. One can see that both cabinets are essentially the same design, one with drawers one with a pull down writing area. Both have quartered veneered panels to the doors, the Mahogany one with applied moulded decoration to the doors. See : illustration below from : Arts and Crafts Furniture by John Andrews. See also : Charles Spooner Arts and Crafts Architect, page 209 illustration 10:28. : Fine Art Society for a Coromandel variation and Puritan Values : Important Furniture Page 1, for a larger four door lacquered panelled variation. Charles Spooner is noted as one of the most influential people and also credited as one of the fathers of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Born at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington (London), Spooner was the second of 5 children of Charles Spooner and Sarah Frances Trinder, who lived at Brook Green, Hammersmith. Spooner became an architect and an instructor of furniture design at the London County Council's Central School of Arts and Crafts. He was a pupil and then assistant of Sir A W Blomfield and in 1890 won the RIBA’s Soane Medallion (Proc RIBA). He specialised in smaller churches and houses turning out some beautiful and complete buildings. He was influenced by E W Godwin and contemporary American architects such as H H Richardson. He was a member of the Society and Protection of Ancient Buildings and the Art Workers Guild, he worked in the tradition of William Morris, teaching...

Burled elm charles 'X' drop front secretary (secrétaire à abattant) with black marble top with white vains, drop door revealing a leather covered writing table...

Early 19th century Georgian mahogany chest on chest circa 1800. Fine quality English chest on chest which we rescued on our travels around Sweden. Comprising of 2 parts.  Top secti...

This is a slant front secretary or bureau made in England circa 1780. It is made of Kashmir walnut (the finest cut of burr walnut) and walnut. The top, ...

This is an elegant English black lacquered English Queen Anne cabinet chest on Stand decorated overall with gilt chinoiseries. This case piece was originally a traveling secretary...

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

Fine Georgian period mahogany chest on chest, the dentil molded top with reeded canted corners having three short and three wide drawers over lower section having secretary drawer an...

Lovely 19th century English black lacquered Chinoiserie secretary. Beautiful painted Asian designs and many compartments. A true w...

A late 18th century English George III mahogany Bureau bookcase ‘secretaire’ with fretwork open swan neck pediment, centred by a shaped finial, above a pair of glazed doors, slant fr...

A fine British military officer’s Campaign secretary or secretaire from the early 19th century Georgian Era, of a desirably rare and diminutive scale, fashioned as a chest of drawers...

George II walnut and walnut burl slant front bureau bookcase / secretary with original hand beveled mirrored doors on bracket feet. Upper cabinet with candle slides conceals book she...

This beautiful antique English secretaire is not only a stunning decorative piece but also highly practical and versatile. You can use it as a writing desk, or it can serve excellent...

This wonderful early 19th century Antique English Rosewood and ebonized Davenport or Ship Captain's Desk is one of the finest we've had in recent years. Davenports or Ship Captain's Desks are so-named originally for a Captain Davenport...

English trumeau of the 20th century. Double body funiture in walnut, burl, beech, mahogany and fruitwood. Lower body equipped with two smaller parallel drawers and two larger lower o...

With rectangular cornice over a pair of gothic mullioned doors enclosing a fitted interior, the base with drawer enclosing a fitted desk interior all over three drawers ending on spl...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original English circa 1760 Oak writing bureau with green leather writing surface Please not...

Important English commode secretary from the Georgian period with three large drawers. The upper part simulating two drawers is made of a flap which forms the work table covered with...

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...

With architectural broken pediment cornice over a pair of mirror doors opening to a fitted interior, the base with hinged slant lid with red leather surface opening to a fitted inter...

An early George III period bureau bookcase with fretwork swan neck pediment, 30-paned bookcase, slant front enclosed leather writing surface, fitted...

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...

Mahogany glazed secretary from the end of the 18th century of very good quality Very beautiful secretary composed of 4 drawers as well as a theater in the lower part and an upper gl...

A very fine Bureau Bookcase of the Queen Anne period. The frame constructed in walnut, with inlaid elm designs. The slanted fall-front opens to reveal a herringbone-inlaid arrangem...

This is a lovely Edwardian walnut Secretary, the top having two glazed doors within Gothic mullions. The bottom section with a slant drop front, contains a hand painted center medal...

Early 19th century Georgian style walnut and burr secretary desk, vanity or chest with four drawers and two interior drawers in the desk.

Stunning Hand Crafted English Chinese Chippendale Bamboo Secretary. This handsome and special Secretary has two top facing doors and a Middle "cubby Hole" opening for Books, small decorative pieces, etc., The tilt top Desk...

English Mahogany George II secretary, has raised serpentine panels. The interior features a prospect door with a geometric inlaid star of ebony and...

Distinctive English Georgian fall front or drop front secretaire desk crafted from oak. The secretary features lovely marquetry inlay on the slanted front and the drawer fronts. The ...

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,...

An English Chinese Chippendale style tall bamboo secretary from the 19th century, with slanted lift-top writing table, doors and drawers. Created in England during the 19th century, this bamboo secretary charms us with its slender proportions and exquisite Chinese Chippendale influence. The overhanging desk opens...

A beautiful quality, 1930's oak bureau bookcase, in the manner of Heals There's a leaded glass door bookcase to one side, a pull down desk with compartment storage and drawers to the...

Truly a spectacular example of its kind, this grand secretary grabs your attention with its broken arch pediment and doesn't let go until you admire the original bracket feet. In bet...

English walnut secretary, the top with cove cornice above double ''tombstone''raised panel doors and pull out candle slides; the fitted interior with ...

A delightful early 18th century solid walnut bureau bookcase having attractive double domed top with replacement mirror plates to panelled doors enclosing well fitted interior abov...

PRESENTING A GORGEOUS and beautifully proportioned Mid-18th Century George II Miniature Campaign Bureau Chest on later Chest/Stand. Mid-18th century, made in Britain, circa 1760-1770. The bureau chest sits on a later stand/chest, that we estimate is late 19th century, circa 1860-1880. It is also British. We believe that the primary wood in this piece is either Elm or Sycamore with mahogany elements. Classic Campaign style miniature Bureau Chest, with its ORIGINAL George II brass hardware, including handles on the sides for easy carriage, which is what proves to us, that this chest was made for campaign purposes. The brasses are GORGEOUS and are classically George II in style, design and construction. The quality, thickness and patina to the brasses, is what ‘initially’ tells us, that this is a ‘period’ piece and not a reproduction. Likewise, the dovetailing detail to the drawers, tells us that this was a hand crafted piece and certainly NOT machine made. The secondary woods appear to be a combination of oak and pine, exactly as one would expect. The central keyhole escutcheons are FANTASTIC and are in the form of a pair of opposing ‘lyres’. We have never seen anything like them! Beautiful natural patina! The ‘brasses’ look like they have been polished a ‘little too often and vigorously’, over the piece’s 250+ years history … BUT … the bonus of this cleaning is the creation of a rather appealing, '2 Tone effect’, on the patina of the wood around the brasses. The Bureau has a flat gallery...

English Chippendale Kingwood Military Campaign graduated chest with an upper drawer fitted with a hinged fall front secretary revealing a central prospect door with a secret interior drawer, flanking pigeon holes with eight interior drawers, top edge carved with an egg & dart border, three graduated lower case drawers, original recessed brasses and escutcheons, and resting on a carved egg & dart rope skirt with the original bun feet. Late 18th Century Campaign...

English Regency rosewood secretaire cabinet with two upper shelves supported by a lyre form over a secretaire drawer fitted with a leather wri...

An attractive antique late 18th century, George III period bleached oak with ebony inlay two stage English country house bureau cupboard or bookcase. Circa 1790. Having a moulded cornice with inlay, above two fielded and inlaid panelled doors, opening to reveal a white painted interior with adjustable shelves inside, the inlaid bureau fall opening to reveal a lovely fitted interior with various drawers, compartments and leather surface, with a straight apron running along the top, with two short oak lined drawers and three long oak lined graduated drawers below, with brass plate handles, standing on splayed bracket feet. Great quality. A good piece of Georgian antique furniture. Complete with working locks and key. DIMENSIONS Height: 203cm (79.9in) Width: 112cm (44.1in) Depth: 51cm (20.1in) The antique oak bureau bookcase...

English mahogany bureau bookcase, having broken arch pediment above dentil molded cornice, the upper cabinet with hexagon glass mullion doors, the lower cabinet with fall front secre...

For customers that require professional insured delivery we are proud to have teamed up with a nationwide professional delivery company that will assist with coordinating your delivery needs! They offer a reasonable flat-rate fee for delivery and set up to the ground floor of your home. They deliver to the vast majority of the lower 48 states. They offer a flat rate for most of our items with exclusions for the largest or most complex items such as breakfronts or crystal chandeliers or other items of greater complexity. For those items please ask for a shipping quote prior to purchase as these rates are different from our stated pricing. For those items please ask for a shipping quote prior to purchase. Most deliveries to the East Coast will be 295.00, to the mid-west and Southern mid-west 395.00. To the areas west of Kansas 495.00 and the farthest points to the West coast will be 595.00. Again, some areas we can't cover, however we can deliver to most of the lower 48 states so please inquire to be sure! Delivery times range from as fast as 1-4 weeks for the east coast to 5-9 weeks to the farthest areas of the west coast, sometimes longer and sometimes even shorter. If it is a time sensitive purchase, we may be able to accommodate you for a higher price. It is our goal to please each and every one of our customers with the highest standard of service possible. You must realize and accept that we are shipping antique, vintage and quality used furnishings to your home. We cannot control traffic, weather, and acts of God. There will be times when additional patience will be necessary. This fantastic English satinwood desk is in very good antique condition with fantastic beveled glass, superb satinwood, mixed woods inlay and a great antique denim...

A striking 19th century "Secretaire Abattant" style standing desk with a drop front writing surface. A handsome and functional piece of furniture with copious storage space. It features dramatic wood grain patterns, and fine geometric marquetry fillets of alternating light and darker woods. The interior has ample slots and shelving for display of personal items, and the original leather writing pad...

18th century oak secretary of very good quality and small model from England Very beautiful secretary composed of 4 drawers as well as a theater. This secretaire stands out by a ma...

Unusual original Arts & Crafts Movement oak secretaire cabinet, circa 1900. The cabinet has its original brass handles and is in good condition with only some minor losses to the pa...

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...

Pair of impressive marble, porcelain, and ormolu mounted Victorian secretaires English, 19th Century Height 126cm, width 77cm, depth 37cm This stunning pair are a showcase of Engl...