English Secretaires

A slender mahogany bureau bookcase with secretary desk, made in England, circa 1820. The secretary’s upper body is crowned with a broken pediment–a classic Sheraton feature–above gla...

Circa 1780-1800 Georgian Secretaire Bookcase, English. Neo-classical taste. The base raised on French splay feet with scalloped, line inlaid apron. Shield escutcheons. The handsome i...

Early 20th century English painted bookcase secretaire with later paint and bevelled glass. 1910. Upper interior shelves: 8.5-inches Height to the underside of desk: 28.5-inches ...

A very rare antique George III English Mahogany secretary bookcase, with a fitted collector's or doctor's cabinet to the base, circa 1790. The bookcase in two sections; the top section with a flared cornice with a frieze of dentil molding below, the bookcase with twin glazed doors with intersecting curvilenear astragals, the doors enclosing a pair of adjustable shelves. The base having a deep drawer with a locking fall front desk, fitted with a tooled & gilded leather writing surface, and a fitted interior with pigeonholes with removable doors and drawers each fitted with an oval gilded name label. Below are a pair of locking doors enclosing an elaborately fitted interior; comprising one long shallow tray shaped drawer above a host of 13 drawers of various sizes, all with the original brass hardware and corresponding oval gilded name tag, to the left side is a file space. The secretary bookcase is raised on bracket feet with a shaped skirt, it is made from the finest figured Cuban mahogany, all original finish and hardware. Georgian bookcase secretaries...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original Robert Mouseman Thompson custom made to order, fully restored Writing Bureau over a b...

A fine English period George I large secretary bureau escritoire - or scriptor - of patinated walnut from the 18th century. Featuring burr walnut-fig...

George III mahogany secretary, late 18th century. Pediment with dental molding, two glass doors with through mullions, two adjustable shelves and four drawers on the bottom, a central single board slant top, interior with central prospect door flanked by 4 letter slots and 7 drawers, below are 4 graduated drawers with cock beaded moldings, all drawers with locks stamped "Sam Hall...

Late 19th century English Queen Anne style slant front desk with three drawers & inner compartments.

A fine George III slant top desk or bureau secretary chest of patinated mahogany, c.1770 - an inlaid slant front drops to reveal a series of small drawers and document compartments, ...

This exceptional George III Mahogany Breakfront Bureau Bookcase with Glazed Doors, has wonderful flame & crotch grain Mahogany. Comprised of a large central cabinet, flanked by 2 sma...

This English secretary bookcase in arts & crafts style is a beautiful piece of furniture that expresses both elegance and functionality. The secretary bookcase was made around 1910 i...

Extraordinary 19th century English ladies secretaire desk or writing table. The two part desk was made in the Chinoiserie revival period of Europe ...

The best English Queen Anne / George I burl walnut secretary bureau bookcase in two sections. The upper arched top portion with a molded and domed cornice inset with mirrored glass a...

A VERY FINE GEORGE III MAHOGANY SECRETAIRE WITH A GLAZED BOOKSHELF ABOVE A CHEST OF DRAWERS England, circa 1780 Three drawers signed "William Jones" ...

English 19th Century Mahogany Secretary with Dental Moulded Flat Cornince and Splayed Feet

This is a bookcase / secretary or Bureau bookcase, made in England, circa 1825. There is a Pagoda Shaped layered crown molding to the top of the piece (very unusual). There is a pair...

Step into the grace and sophistication of the 18th century with our exquisite English oak secretaire, an embodiment of Georgian Chippendale-style craftsmanship. Elegantly merging for...

English 19th Century Mahogany Secretary with Broken Pediment, Ebonized Inlay and Splayed Feet

A fine 18th century George III English bureau bookcase secretary in solid West Indies/ Cuban mahogany. The bonnet features a swan neck, broken-scroll pediment with carved rosettes an...

An English black lacquer secretary bookcase from the 19th century, with glass doors, drop-front desk and gold Chinoiserie décor. Created in England during the 19th century, this secr...

Exceptional condition for this English secretaire/chest/desk of George I period. The finish in figured burl walnut adds aesthetic beauty to the history of this piece acquired by Cosulich Interiors & Antiques from a collector in Yorkshire. Georgian wood...

Handsome 19th century campaign chest secretary handcrafted in mahogany in a two-piece construction featuring a pull-out leather top secretary ...

English 19th Century Mahogany Secretary with Arched Pediment with Inlay and Crossbanding

A very fine quality late 17th century Oyster veneer cabinet on chest from the Queen Anne/William and Mary period with outstanding patina and nutty color, and of desirable proportions...

For your consideration is this lovely and totally original walnut desk dating from the 1930s. Compact in size this little desk is perfect if the space available is limited and of con...

An English walnut Campaign butler's desk from the 19th century with writing area, three drawers, bracket feet and brass hardware. This 19th-century English walnut Campaign butler's d...

Antique George III mahogany slant front secretary bookcase with molded cornice, glazed doors with geometric mullions, fall front writing surface with leather top. The desk interior f...

English mahogany secretary with mirrored bookcase. Secretary has a upper case broken pediment top with dental molding, original mirrored doors, c...

English Chippendale mahogany fall front secretary with carved molded edge finial cornice, flanking upper case hinged glass doors revealing adjustable interior shelves, period brasses, interior locks with keys, fitted interior burl walnut desk, satinwood string inlays, flanking lower case book matched...

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

18th century English painted oak fall front bureau. 1760. Height to desk: 28 1/4-inches Internal reference: H Code: 8872 Dimensions: W: 43.5" (110.5 cm) H: 39.5" (100.3 cm) D: ...

An exceptional example of a late George I English secretary desk in walnut, its upper case with a molded broken arch pediment with urn finials surmounting two arched paneled doors, o...

A stunning English Georgian bureau. This bureaux is from the Georgian era, just after 1800. Fabulous color and patina to the solid oak finish. The whole piece of furniture is made of...

19th Century English Satinwood secretary/bookcase. Two astragal glazed doors above open to reveal two adjustable shelves for display, a fall front opening to reveal a fully fitted in...

English Regency style mahogany and satinwood inlaid Carlton house desk. Circa 1880 rare Carlton House desk, typical for the Regency period, is a beautiful piece of furniture. It i...

Very handsome Georgian lowland oak secretary with walnut trim.

This antique English oak secretaire from the late 18th/early 19th century is a real eye-catcher. It has oak fronts, a stepped interior, beautiful original details and working locks. ...

AMAZING STATIONERY BIN WITH LIFTING English, 18th century. in lacquered wood. Gold decoration representing pagodas and river landscapes. Friezes with plant motifs. Lower body with ...

George II mahogany mirror door secretary, the broken arch pediment with dentil molding above the two original mirror doors, interior with two...

English Chippendale mahogany broken pediment breakfront with carved floral medallions, candle light molding, four upper case glass doors with adjus...

Antique English Rustic Secretary Desk makes the perfect choice for a cozy office, a student's desk, or just a great place to catch up on correspondenc...

Exceptional Antique 18th Century English George III Mahogany Secretary Bookcase with Secret Drawer.

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...

English Chippendale mahogany and satinwood fall front secretary / bookcase with a molded edge pendent cornice, flanking upper case hinged original glass doors revealing removable int...

A W N Pugin attributed, A Gothic Revival Oak Davenport with finely executed carved gallery to the top and a sloping writing area opening to reveal storage...

Antique English Regency Mahogany Secretary bookcase, Circa 1890.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 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 ...

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...

Elegant Edwardian Cylinder Roll Top Secretary Desk, French Walnut with Marquetry & Parquetry Inlay– English Craftsmanship Step back in time with this exquisite Edwardian cylinder ro...

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...