Continental Europe - Secretaires

A Japanese style carved wood cabinet, with a painted decor imitating Japanese lacquer, ornamented with flowers, birds and butterflies. Opening onto two drawers and a paper filer, the upright-secretary door is also fitted with red velvet. Surmounted by a drawer and asymmetrical shelves, composed in the Japanese « zen » spirit, the cabinet stands on four legs joined by an engraved stretcher. The great influence of the Far-East, through China and Japan, in the second half of the 19th century French art could be found first in painting and soon after in decorative arts and furniture as well. Following the Franco-English military campaign led in 1860 against the Imperial army in China, the French troops of Napoleon III brought back from the Summer Palace, a part of the Chinese Imperial court treasure, which will make up the famous Chinese Museum of Empress Eugénie at the Fontainebleau Palace. The French artists won’t be long to take inspiration from those exotic and sumptuous objects for their creations, as they used to do in the 18th century, when the best French cabinet-makers adapted the Chinese lacquers on the luxurious royal chests. But the influence of Japan, at the Meiji period (1868-1912), came also very quickly to France, thanks to the opening of the country in the middle of the 19th century, as well as the development of traveling and the amazing Universal Exhibitions, in which Japan participated for the first time in 1867 in Paris. Then many Japanese objects and prints were imported to France and to all Europe, and for which some collectors spent already fortunes. With Manet and Impressionists generation, the passion for Japanese art, more than a simple taste for an exotic style, was still in fashion until the turn of the 19th century. It provoked not only a craze among the French aristocratic families as well as the wealthy Paris high society, wishing renew their mansion inner decoration, but turned also to a real revolutionary movement among the “avant-garde” artists. Those artists, whoever they were, painters, cabinet-makers or designers of ceramic, bronze and crystal objects, adapted then those techniques and naturalistic motifs unknown until this time. Christofle, very famous since 1867 as a silversmith, was also one of the leaders among the inventors of Japanism. He knew how to use Japanese elements to his own splendid works made in silver or “cloisonné” enameled bronze. During the 1878 Paris Universal Exhibition, Christofle presented with great success his life-sized bronze Japanese ladies torcheres, executed by the renowned sculptor Guillemin. Another famous company to be mentioned, is “L’Escalier de Cristal”, producing art objects and furniture, all of high standard quality and innovating much with their Japanese decor. Highly remarked during the Universal Exhibitions, “L’Escalier de Cristal” collaborated with the greatest artists, such Gallé and Rousseau for glass- and ceramic wares, and the cabinet-makers Lièvre and Viardot, whom made furniture including sometimes authentic Japanese elements. In 1872, Alfred Perret and Ernest Vibert opened in Paris, at 33 rue du Quatre-Septembre a store that offered “natural bamboo furniture and cane seats” and all kinds of textile fittings for furniture. This furniture used for winter gardens and terraces of mansions knew then a resounding success. They developed their business around 1884 with their Japanese style furniture, very close to that executed by Gabriel Viardot (1830-1906). In 1886, the company appearing in the category of “Chinoiserie and Japoneries” offered, in addition to furniture and seating creation, works of art and inlaid furniture directly imported from the Far East ; an activity that expanded rapidly. Their exotic fantasy furniture presented at the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1889 and 1900, rewarded them two silver medals. In 1894, the company was listed under the name “Perret et Vibert”, headed by the son of Alfred Perret and Ernest Vibert. The same year, they redesigned their store on rue du Quatre-Septembre, creating ten new show-rooms, showing complete furniture sets of Japanese and Chinese style inspiration. It was not until 1895, that the company was finally named “La Maison des Bambous” and organized then in their shops an “exhibition of country furniture and seats for castles and villas”, which was visited by Empress Eugenie to furnish her villa Cyrnos at Cap Martin. She actually was a regular customer of the “Maison des Bambous” as she bought repeatedly furniture. In October of the same year, the king of Greece...

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...

Art deco period secretary in plum lacquer (frame and base) and coral lacquer (facade). The body is quadrangular on a pedestal base. The lower façade opens with two doors, surmounted...

This striking Art Deco secretary cabinet — crafted in France during the 1930s — is a quintessential example of the era’s refined glamour and design ingenuity. Finished in a luxurious...

A rare Japanese export lacquered secretaire for the American market Circa 1800-1830, Colonial Overall densely decorated with flower sprays and landscapes, minutely inlaid with ...

Very rare bureau / secretaire designed by Kai Winding. Produced by cabinetmaker P. Jeppesen in Denmark. Dimensions (W x D x H): 100 x 46.5 (83) x 104 (68) cm.

High quality rosewood veneer on solid conifers. Conical body on profile frames. Base in the front, between four drawers, straight flap with shield-shaped filling. Behind it is a richly divided compartmental division of a bent temple-shaped central compartment with mirrored full columns, flanked by star-starved drawers. Over cantilevered profile cornice flat gypsum, stepped with oval cover plate. Front. All drawers and backboard made of solid wood. So-called pyramid furniture...

Louis XVI bureau made in Cuban mahogany. Top cabinet as well as the base with fluted quarter columns. Copenhagen Denmark, circa 1780.

Surprising and rare Louis XVI secretary in cherrywood from the 18th century Uncommon secretary given its large size of 1m74 and its very beautiful interior Very beautiful patina an...

The depth given applies to the cabinet/secretaire being closed. The desk top measures 80cm in depth. Rampa, a multifunctional station on wheels from 1965, was inspired by the traditional florist’s display...

This oak desk from 1949 is an emblematic piece of Marcel Gascoin's work and of the housing Reconstruction period. Marcel Gascoin, born August 24, 1907 in Le Havre and died October 27...

Roll bureau or roll secretary. Mid 19th century. Solid mahogany and veneered on oak. Standing on 4 twisted turned table legs with 5 long frame d...

This highly decorative, museum-quality antique Italian secretary is beautifully adorned with intricate inlays featuring striking and decorative motifs. The piece has two doors with a...

Beautiful secretary cabinet produced by V-Form in Belgium around 1965. Nice woodgrain with a very decorative white accent on the lower door panel and three drawers which adds a moder...

A majestic antique writing desk, richly carved and decorated with gilded details, placed on a sturdy, rustic wooden trestle-style table. The writing desk features multiple compartmen...

Two-door Bonheur du Jour ladies' secretaire standing on tall, tapered legs with brass sabots, featuring a leather-covered writing surface in the lower drawer and compartments for ink...

Large Baroque secretaire on bun feet with a three-drawer commode base with a serpentine front, a writing surface at a height of 80 cm and a broken pediment top part. The doors and dr...

Precious cabinet secretaire produced in Italy in the 1950s, The whole cabinet is veneered in mahogany with a fine solid wood carving in the center of the two doors representing two b...

This handsome Carlos IV style "secretaire-abattant" or drop front desk combines functionality with ample storage space. Top, front and sides feature detailed marquetry inlay in geome...

With rich marquetry in this version, it is very rare to find such a similar piece of furniture. The cupboard stands on paw feet, high-quality maceteria inlays on all sides, i.e. inla...

Dimensions D: 40 cm (15.75") H: 317 ( MAXIMAL HEIGHT) cm W: 80 cm (31.50")

Early XIX Century Mahogany Secretary Germany, 1800 Mahogany This classicist cylinder bureau made of mahogany dates from 1810 and is an original from the Empire & Biedermeier era. Th...

Klassischer dänischer Sekretär Kai Kristiansen für Torring / HJN Mobler in hervorragendem Zustand. Eventuelle Beieinträchtigungen der Oberfläche werden von uns vor Auslieferung fachg...

Uncovered sample desk made of wood, with the central part advanced and highlighted with a double chapel of architectural composition. Each of the sides has five drawers with the front decorated with tortoiseshell and an elaborate golden bronze lock shield (two rampant lions faced, located on a garland and with a shield crowned between them, in which the hollow of the key). The center of the front has two levels: the lower one has four columns with éntasis, two on each side and joined by an entablature and a top finish in dark wood, and a series of gold metal elements in the center between which it stands out, sheltered under a semicircular arch, the figure of Hercules fighting against Caco; the upper one has some moldings forming some recesses, with an important heraldic shield in the center, all enhanced with volutes towards the sides, and different elements in gilded metal, of classicist inspiration. The general scheme of the furniture responds to a very widespread and valued model in 17th century Europe, of which the best examples have been, as a rule, those of Italian manufacture, and which is continued in the eighteenth century without breaking the compositional clarity of the one that shows in this frontal but yes changing slight decorative details and elements in the area of the central chapel, above all. The practice of using tortoiseshell plates...

18th century, Italian solid walnut wood Trumeau Measures: height cm 239, width cm 122, depth cm 52, depth raised cm 30 Elegant Trumeau, made in piedmont, north of Italy, in th...

This impressive Empire style secretary from the year 1820 is a true masterpiece of craftsmanship and aesthetic beauty. Hand-polished mahogany wo...

German provincial Baroque secretary à deux corps from the 2nd half of the 18th century. Solid oak with original green coloured painting. A very rare piece of authentic furniture who...

Louis Seize secretary featuring five drawers and a flat writing flap. Veneered with cherry wood, this secretary is adorned with fire-shaded inlays. The central motif of the laurel wr...

Rare mid-century secretaire/secretary or highboard from the German WK Möbel. This wooden cabinet consists of two separate parts that are placed on top of each...

Classicist secretary, circa 1800-1810. Cuba mahogany on solid softwood partly ebonized. High-right, architecturally designed body on conical legs. In the front three drawers. Straig...

A sensational and unique French PP S XIX cartonnier, Transition style from Louis XV to Louis XVI, high quality, mahogany, mahogany palm and leather. The cartonnier rises on a solid m...

A very fine Louis XVI style upright secretary, executed in veneered wood, finely decorated with painted medallions representing mythological scenes. Fine chiseled and gilded bronze m...

Venezia, Italy, handcrafted production from 1976 In Venetian style Louis XV Painted and decorated in gold Upper part with two doors with two beveled mirrors depicting a Lady and a...

Delicate secretaire in Biedermeier style. Maple root on solid pinewood. Interior, blackened full-columns, plastic shown in squared form. (L-Sam-41).

Walnut secretaire cabinet with a flap door and a secret drawer, French polish. France, circa 1940.

A 18th century Flemish Louis XV slanted-flap secretary. Solidly made of oak. Half-high lateral coffered corpus with 2 large drawers and a slightly recessed superstructure with sla...

Bird’s-eye maple root veneer on solid pinewood. Gilded chimeras. Finely engraved bronze fixtures. (L-Sam-252).

This Secretaire desk is designed by famous parisian Designer Eric Gizard and delivered fully mounted. The dimensions of the Box itself are width 90 cm / 35.4'' x height 90 cm / 35.4'' x depth 46 cm / 18;11'' Height of the feet is 35 cm / 13.8'' Useful Height behind the lower hinged doors is 37 cm / 14.6'' Overall width of each compartment behind the hinged doors is 42 cm / 16.5'' and useful width is 38 cm / 15.0'' due to the hinges. The vertical interior divider can be moved during the manufacture process to allow the installation of printers with a width> 42 cm / 16.5''. The upper working part is fitted with a flap door on a "push-loose" opening for an efficient work with your laptop and smartphone. The storage space inside the cube and behind the flap is for your screen or to store your paperwork in the removable shelves. The 2 horizontal shelves and the 2 vertical storage...

Large cylinder desk in mahogany and flamed mahogany veneer in the Empire style. This secretary with semi-cylindrical flap has eight drawers with pa...

Metaphysical Cube, a cabinet designed by Gianluca Pacchioni, Italian artists represented by Galerie Negropontes in Paris, France. It is a unique piece made with white onyx, liquid br...

Museum Biedermeier secretary signed by Adolph Friedrich Voigt, circa 1825 Fire-gilt fittings. High quality Cuba mahogany on solid linden wood. Architecturally structured front. Rect...

Very nice and unseal handmade wall decoration. Brass and Metal. Old house with staircases comes with a Bronze little boy figurine. Lots off patine. Signed Hirsch 1974.

French 18th century large Louis XVI marquetry desk or bureau à Cylindre An exceptional marquetry secrétaire in the form of a bureau with a cylinder front and on a stand with four ...

Danish Cylinder Desk – Mid-20th Century – Edmund Jørgensen A beautiful Danish secretary desk (chatol), originally sold through the well-known Edmund Jørgensen Furniture store, found...

Pyramids mahogany on pine tree. Architecturally arranged inner life. Not long ago, the secretary was grounded. Several drawers from inside as well as from outside. With secret compar...

Delicate secretaire in Biedermeier style. Maple roots on solid pinewood. Natrual leather covered and gold-embossing. (L-Mhs-42).

18th century, French Louis XVI inlaid wood secretaire with marble top and gilt bronzes. This elegant secretaire Louis XVI was made in F...

Massive secretaire with flap in marquetry of cubes on the doors and sides and bronzes (partly gilded): the flap covered with leather inside opens on...

A late 18th century French provincial secretary made of cherry wood. Solidly cherrywood body standing on 6 feet with moulded sides, slight...

Glazed secretary in oak from the first part of the 18th century of very good quality with double dome Double dome secretaries are the rarest and ...

Napoleon style secretary, France, around 1870. Very good condition, after professional renovation. The furniture is finished in high gloss in French polish. dimensions: height 138 ...

This large secretary desk is mounted in our French workshops and delivered fully assembled. The overall dimensions of the box itself are Widt...

Beautiful antique Davenport bureau in burl walnut. Light brown leather inlay with gold profiling. Under the writing surface there is 1 small drawer and 2 false drawer fronts. On the...

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...

Unique, Beautiful and rare Week Drawers Cabinet, elegant small chest of drawers in wood marquetry in frieze, ebony, amaranth fillets and Greek ebony on the drawers. Marquetry on the...

1970s Spanish iron shelving with wooden drawers and doors.

19th Century Louis XVI Floral and Musical Instruments Marquetry Writing Cabinet or Lady's Secrétaire, also called "Bonheur du Jour" A 19th century bonheur du jour writing cabinet o...

German secretary of patinated elm wood with top and brass fittings decorated with marquetry from Berlin around the 1840s. Dimensions in cm: H:207.5 W:...

This grand Empire bureau is a testament to the exquisite craftsmanship of the 1820s, crafted from hand-polished mahogany adorned with intricate inlaid wood detailing. Its imposing pr...

Superb Art Deco desk/secretaire by Primavera. It is made of a beech wood structure, all faces entirely covered with leather (parchment). All angles are reinforced with chromed metal....