18th Century Writing Desk
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George III Inlaid Occasional Writing Table, circa 1770
Located in New York, NY
musical pages, trumpets and ribbon, surmounting a pullout leather writing surface and frieze drawer with
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
George III Hepplewhite Period Double-Sided Mahogany Writing Table
By George Hepplewhite
Located in London, Middlesex
A fine late 18th century Hepplewhite period mahogany writing table, the crossbanded rectangular
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Hepplewhite Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Italian Small Louis XVI Cherry Desk
Located in Moncalvo, IT
Little cherry inlayed desk from Venice, Louis XVI 1780 Circa
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Italian Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cherry
Althorp Mahogany Pedestal Desk
Located in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire
A mahogany pedestal desk with brass bound and three quarter pierced brass gallery top inset with a
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century Vietnamese Desks and Writing Tables
Antique Cylinder Front Desk
Located in Naples, FL
-quality materials and is perfect for use as a writing desk or for storing important documents. The desk
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Mahogany, Oak
Spanish walnut desk
Located in San Francisco, CA
The rectangular top above a single frieze drawer applied with iron pull, raised on splayed square fluted A-forn end standards united to the underside of the top by slender elongated ...
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Spanish Desks and Writing Tables
$12,500
Exceptional Quality Pedestal Desk
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Antique desk made of exceptionally fine mahogany with concave front and old green skiver. The
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Late 18th Century French fruitwood (cherry) entrance, serving, hall table C.1790
Located in Malvern, Victoria
Late 18th Century French fruitwood centre/serving/sofa/hall/entrance table.
Of good deep
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cherry, Fruitwood
Secretary of Louis XV, Stamped by Jean Baptiste Saunier, 18th Century
By J. B. Saunier
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Upholstered secretary with curved front and decorated sides inlaid with geometric butterfly wing patterns in rosewood and violet wood, opening with two drawers, a flap revealing six ...
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Georgian Mahogany Kneehole Desk
Located in Towcester, Northamptonshire
An attractive mid to late eighteenth century mahogany kneehole desk having an inset leather top
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Rococo Petite Desk with Gold Bronze Mounts by Edward Holmes Baldock, Paris, 1780
Located in Chicago, IL
will fit comfortably into small spaces. 18th century bureau plats or writing tables were also called
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
A Federal Mahogany Writing Table, Boston, 1805-1815
Located in New York, NY
The rectangular top inset with later green leather gilt-tooled with greek key, above two frieze drawers with brass bail handles; the round tapering reeded legs are headed by incised...
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
French Louis XV Petite Kidney-Shaped Writing Table, Paris, 1780
Located in Chicago, IL
French transitional period kidney-shaped desk. 18th century French transitional design between
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Louis XV Small Desk
Located in Geneva, CH
Rare small desk, wooden shape of finely decorated with mouldings and sculptured beech.
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Althorp Mahogany Bureau Desk
Located in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire
An ingenious mahogany bureau desk in the George III manner. The sloping fall front encloses an
Category
Antique Early 18th Century Vietnamese George III Desks and Writing Tables
George III Mahogany Architect
s or Writing Table, circa 1750
Located in London, GB
-entrant corners and the front of the table can pull out to form a writing surface which is covered in a
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English George II Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
A George III partners desk.
Located in New York, NY
both Hepplewhite and Sheraton in the late 18th century. See Plate 50 of
Hepplewhite's "The
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$225,000
Wood Desk on Frame
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Very rare piece from the collection of early dealer, James Abbe, the dean of early Long Island furniture.
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier American Desks and Writing Tables
Northern Italian Neoclassical Walnut Desk
Located in Newport Beach, CA
A Very Fine Italian Provincial Walnut Writing Desk. Fitted with drawers and full width writing
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
George II Mahogany Partners Desk
Located in Dublin port, IE
A George II faded partners desk, the rectangular leather top with a moulded edge, above four frieze
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century English George II Desks and Writing Tables
Mazarin Desk, Louis XIV Period
Located in Biarritz, FR
Rare Mazarin desk , Louis XIV period with turbulent shape, curved sides and 7 drawers in front
Category
Antique Early 18th Century French Louis XIV Desks and Writing Tables
George III Mahogany Partner
s Desk
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Exquisite, late George III, mahogany, partner's desk. This English mahogany wood desk will
Category
Antique Late 18th Century British George III Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Rare Irish 18th Century Lectern or Artists Table
Located in Dromod, Co. Leitrim
A highly unusual Irish rosewood lectern or Artists table,
The top surface with gadrooned surround constructed from fine rosewood timber measuring 60cm x 49cm. The pitch and heigh...
Category
Antique 1760s Irish George III Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Rare Irish 18th Century Lectern or Artists Table
Located in Dromod, Co. Leitrim
A highly unusual Irish rosewood lectern or Artists table,
The top surface with gadrooned surround constructed from fine rosewood timber measuring 60cm X 49cm. The pitch and heigh...
Category
Antique 1760s Irish George III Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Great Mazarin Desk by Alexandre Jean Oppenordt
By Alexandre-Jean Oppenordt
Located in Paris, FR
linked by an "entretoise en X".
Work from the end of the 17th century/beginning of the 18th century by
Category
Antique Early 18th Century Desks and Writing Tables
18th Century Kingwood and Tulipwood Parquetry Serpentine Bureau-Plat
Located in London, GB
The shaped, moulded rectangular top inset with a green tooled leather writing surface above a long
Category
Antique 1760s Dutch Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
18th c southern french bureau plat
Located in Los Angeles, CA
old french desk waxed wood with antique french hardware .
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French French Provincial Desks and Writ...
Unusual Mahogany Desk attributed to Thomas Chippendale
Located in London, GB
lining, the central reading flap with detachable reading slide, the front of the desk with three drawers
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Desks and Writing Tables
18th Century Style Set of 3 Oak Nesting Tables, Scotland 1930
Located in Vancouver, BC
18th Century Style Set of 3 Oak nesting tables, Scotland 1930, H848
Scotland 1930
Solid Oak
Category
20th Century Scottish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Queen Anne Burr Walnut Secretaire Kneehole Desk
Located in Knutsford, GB
A superb, rare Queen Anne burr walnut and feather banded kneehole desk with secretaire top drawer
Category
Antique Early 18th Century English Queen Anne Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Lord Nelson`s Family Portable Sloping Laptop Desk
Located in Dorking, GB
of a mid-17th century table box or desk. It is 17" long by 13.5" deep by 9.25" tall and on the
Category
Antique Early 18th Century English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Exquisite Louis XVI Desk and Game/Card Table
Located in Chicago, IL
, for use as a writing desk, the other with green felt for card playing. Removing the tabletop reveals a
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
A George I Burl Walnut Kneehole Desk
Located in New York, NY
The rectangular top above a long drawer and recessed central cupboard, the kneehole flanked by eight small drawers, all raised on bracket feet.
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Early 18th Century George I Walnut Lowboy with Pointed Pad Feet
Located in Uppingham, Rutland
top drawer).
Wonderful piece of early 18th century English walnut and will look fabulous anywhere
Category
Antique 1730s English George I Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Fine and Important George I Walnut Kneehole Desk
Located in New York, NY
Diminutive walnut kneehole desks of this age and condition are extremely rare. This piece has a
Category
Antique Early 18th Century English George I Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Louis XV "Dos D
ane" Desk Stamped by Peridiez
Located in Paris, FR
Louis XV "Dos d'ane" desk inlaid with amaranth and tulipwood, floral marquetry and
Category
Antique 18th Century Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
George II Period Mahogany Pedestal Desk with Cellaret Drawer
Located in London, GB
A most unusual late George II period mahogany pedestal desk, with unusual cellaret drawer and side
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Desks and Writing Tables
Louis XV Dos d
âne Desk Stamped I.C. Saunier
Located in Paris, FR
These kingwood desk opens with an inlaid of flowers flap and two front drawers.
The flap opens on
Category
Antique 18th Century Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Italinao, Roller Desk from the 1700s in Walnut and Maple
Located in Barletta, IT
Roller desk in walnut and maple. Inside the roller, a pull-out drawer desk top, a central open
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Italian Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Maple, Nutwood
George III Mahogany Pedestal Desk Chippendale Period Brass Swan Neck Handles
By Thomas Chippendale
Located in London, GB
A George III Chippendale period mahogany partners desk, the sectioned leather lined top, with two
Category
Antique 18th Century English Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
A Magnificent Early 17th century Spanish Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The plank top over three drawers each carved and having the original working locks behind incised drop pulls in iron, over supports joined by iron fiadores
Provenance: Loire F...
Provenance: Loire F...
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Spanish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut, Chestnut
A Louis XV Period Cherry Table
Located in San Francisco, CA
A Louis XV Cherry Table. Third Quarter, 18th Century.
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Desks and Writing Tables
Regence Kingwood Bureau Plat With Ormolu Mounts
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Franch regence ormolu-mounted kingwood bureau plat with leather writing surface
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
Louis XV Period Walnut Bureau Plat
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A Louis XV period walnut bereau plat with cabriole legs terminating in "pied de biche" feet.
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Louis XV provincial fruitwood bureau plat
Located in San Francisco, CA
Louis XV provincial fruitwood bureau plat, the rectangular leather-inset top with molded edge above two frieze drawers, and two false drawers on the opposite side, over a shaped apro...
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
LE DUEX PAINTED
PARCEL GILT BUREAUPLAT
By Derapage Design
Located in San Francisco, CA
An elaborate azure field with classic Louis XV style ochre scrolls and shell forms lyrically frame the painted top and gilt edge. The apron is punctuated with reserves of painted scr...
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier American Desks and Writing Tables
LOUIS XV WALNUT PROVENCAL BUREAU PLAT
Located in Natchez, MS
Louis XV Walnut Provencal Bureau Plat with leather top and original ormolu mounts. Great size.
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut, Leather
Italian antique marbleized table
Located in DeSoto, KS
Italian antique marbleized painted table. The table is from the 17th century and the marbleized
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Louis XV Bureau Plat
Located in Paris, FR
drawers and has four arched feet with gilt bronze bases.
Parisian work from the mid-18th century
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
$23,734
Louis XV "Bureau Plat" Stamped by Delorme and Lardin
By Adrien Delorme
Located in Paris, FR
Great desk inlaid with amaranth and tulipwood. Its belt opens with three drawers ornamented with
Category
Antique 18th Century Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Louis XV Kingwood Bureau Plat With Gilt Bronze Mounts
Located in New York, NY
A kingwood marquetry Louis XV bureau plat with gilt bronze mounts and cabriole legs, ending in gilt bronze sabots with acanthus leaf ornamentation; the original leather inset top bor...
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
Louis XVI Period Bureau-plat
Located in Banbury, GB
A FINE & RARE LATE 18TH.CENTURY LOUIS XVI PERIOD BRASS & EBONY BANDED MAHOGANY BUREAU-PLAT, WRITING
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
$17,115
A pair of English black and polychrome-painted bureaux
Located in London, GB
Late 17th century style. Each decorated overall with flower sprays, with fold-over top lined with
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Desks and Writing Tables
Signed Walnut Leather-Top Louis XV Escritoire, France circa 1740
Located in Lake Forest, IL
Walnut Louis XV Leather Top Writing Table, Signed J.P. Latz
Single Drawer with Simple Ebony
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Louis XV Cartonnier with Clock
Located in Salt Lake City, UT
A highly unusual Louis XV gilt-bronze mounted marquetry cartonnier. France, 18th century. This
Category
Antique 18th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
French Louis XV Ormolu-Mounted Amarante Bureau Plat
Located in Nice, Cote d
Azur
Rectangular top with tooled light brown leather writing surface within a gilt-surround, above three
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
Spanish, Walnut Library Table
Located in Charleston, SC
A very fine example of a Spanish, walnut library table with original top and iron stretcher between beautifully carved, leg supports. The top was made from a single cut of walnut wh...
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Spanish Desks and Writing Tables
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18th Century Writing Desk For Sale on 1stDibs
Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the 18th century writing desk you’re looking for at 1stDibs. A 18th century writing desk — often made from wood, walnut and mahogany — can elevate any home. Find 788 options for an antique or vintage 18th century writing desk now, or shop our selection of 1 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished piece. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer 18th century writing desk, there are earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. Each 18th century writing desk bearing Georgian, Louis XVI or Louis XV hallmarks is very popular. Gillows of Lancaster
London, Caspar Frederik Harsdorff and Thomas Chippendale each produced at least one beautiful 18th century writing desk that is worth considering.
How Much is a 18th Century Writing Desk?
The average selling price for a 18th century writing desk at 1stDibs is $6,796, while they’re typically $797 on the low end and $212,272 for the highest priced.
Finding the Right Desks-writing-tables for You
Choosing the perfect writing desk or writing table is a profoundly personal journey, one that people have been embarking upon for centuries.
Queen Atossa of Persia, from her writing table circa 500 B.C., is said to have been the originator of the art of handwritten letters. Hers was reportedly the first in a long and colorful history of penned correspondence that grew in popularity alongside literacy. The demand for suitable writing desks, which would serve the composer of the letters as well as ensure the comfort of the recipient naturally followed, and the design of these necessary furnishings has evolved throughout history.
Once people began to seek freedom from the outwardly ornate styles of the walnut and rosewood writing desks and drafting tables introduced in the name of Queen Victoria and King Louis XV, radical shifts occurred, such as those that materialized during the Art Nouveau period, when designers longed to produce furniture inspired by the natural world’s beauty. A prime example is the work of the famous late-19th-century Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí — his rolltop desk featured deep side drawers and was adorned with carved motifs that paid tribute to nature. Gaudí regularly combined structural precision with decorative elements, creating beautiful pieces of furniture in wood and metal.
Soon afterward, preferences for sleek, geometric, stylized forms in furniture that saw an emphasis on natural wood grains and traditional craftsmanship took hold. Today, Art Deco desks are still favored by designers who seek to infuse interiors with an air of luxury. One of the most prominent figures of the Art Deco movement was French decorator and furniture designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. With his use of neoclassical motifs as well as expensive and exotic materials such as imported dark woods and inlays of precious metals for his writing desks, Ruhlmann came to symbolize good taste and modernity.
The rise in appreciation for Scandinavian modernism continues to influence the design of contemporary writing desks. It employs the “no fuss” or “less is more” approach to creating a tasteful, sophisticated space. Sweden’s master cabinetmaker Bruno Mathsson created gallery-worthy designs that are as functional as they are beautiful. Finnish architect Alvar Aalto never viewed himself as an artist, but, like Mathsson, his furniture designs reflected a fondness for organic materials and a humanistic approach. Danish designers such as Hans Wegner introduced elegant shapes and lines to mid-century desks and writing tables, often working in oak and solid teak.
From vintage desks to contemporary styles, 1stDibs offers a broad spectrum of choices for conducting all personal and business writing and reading activities.
Questions About 18th Century Writing Desk
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, wedding rings have a long history, stretching back to ancient Egypt. The first diamond engagement ring was created in 1477 by Archduke Maximillian of Austria. Browse a wide array of vintage and contemporary wedding rings on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022In the 18th century, art changed in style from Baroque to Rococo and Neoclassicism. Art became more ornamented and idealized during the Rococo period and then shifted toward a style that emulated the artwork of ancient Greece and Rome near the end of the century. You’ll find a variety of fine art on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 13, 2024To identify 18th-century furniture, you can research your piece in the context of the prevailing styles of the period or consult a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer. To identify your item on your own, look over it for maker's marks, such as carvings, stamps, brands and labels. Researching the marking can help you determine the maker of your piece, and from there, you can search further to learn more about your particular item. Without a maker's mark, the best approach is to consider the characteristics of the dominant furniture styles during the 18th century. In England, these included William and Mary, Queen Anne, Georgian, Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton. Some French furniture styles of the 1700s include Louis XV, Louis XVI and Régence. Find a diverse assortment of 18th-century furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022One way to check if your brass candlesticks are from the 18th century is to look for the two seams running lengthwise on either side. This is from when the candlestick was molded in two halves and then soldered together. You’ll find a variety of candlesticks of all shapes and sizes from some of the top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 10, 2025The individuals considered the Big Three of 18th-century cartoons are William Hogarth, James Gillray and George Cruikshank. Although the 18th century saw a widespread increase in illustrations in newspapers, these three illustrators were particularly well-known for their work. Hogarth's work was extremely diverse, ranging from serious, realistic paintings and portraits to satirical and moralistic illustrations filled with symbolism. A British caricaturist, Gillray is remembered today for his artworks representing political and social satires, like his political cartoons against George III of England. Despite being a prolific caricaturist, Cruikshank is now most famous for illustrating the works of Charles Dickens. On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of illustrations.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022At the end of the 17th century, Europe went into a frenzy over porcelain. Asian porcelain was highly sought after, and spurred the foundation of the Meissen factory in France, where hard porcelain went on to be made. You’ll find a large collection of porcelain pieces from many of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
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