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Unique Austrian Empire Secretary/Writing Desk, Mahogany, 1820s Austria
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Empire secretary or writing desk, (Cylinder) Material: Mahogany. Completely restored, Shellac
Category

1820s Austrian Empire Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Wood, Mahogany, Lacquer

Antique Writing Desk and Chair Set circa 1920s, Moorish Style Inlaid Desk
Located in Miami, FL
Very fine antique Moorish style inlaid writing desk and chair set, circa 1920's. This hand-carved
Category

Early 20th Century Lebanese Moorish Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Wood, Cedar

Antique Chinoiserie Ladies Writing Desk c. Early 20th Century
Located in Westfield, MA
This striking Antique Chinoiserie Ladies Writing Desk, dating to the early 20th century, offers a
Category

Early 20th Century American Chinoiserie Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Wood

19th Century Charles X Writing Desk with secret compartment
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
19th Century Charles X Writing Desk with secret compartment. Gorgeous piece. Age appropriate wear
Category

Early 19th Century French Charles X Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Wood

Louis XV style writing desk. Gilt bronze, stone. Possibly French school, 19th c
Located in Madrid, ES
Louis XV style writing desk. Gilt bronze, stone. Possibly French school, 19th century. Gilt bronze
Category

19th Century European Neoclassical Revival Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Stone, Bronze, Other

Early 19th Century Spanish Baroque Carved Mixed Wood Writing Desk
Located in Astoria, NY
An extraordinary early 19th-century Spanish Baroque writing desk sourced from Provence, France. The
Category

Early 19th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Wrought Iron

Regency Desk Writing Table Mahogany 1880
Located in Potters Bar, GB
Sheraton Revival Mahogany Writing Desk. The term "Sheraton Revival" typically refers to a style of
Category

1880s Regency Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany

French 19th Century Louis XV Style Tulipwood and Kingwood Ladies Writing Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An elegant French 19th century Louis XV St. tulipwood and kingwood ladies writing desk. The desk is
Category

19th Century French Louis XV Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Ormolu

English Chippendale Style Painted Goddard Chest Secretary Writing Desk
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique circa 1930s Goddard chest / writing desk featuring a drop front door that opens to multiple
Category

Early 20th Century American Chippendale Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Hardwood, Paint

Victorian Soapstone Laboratory Writing Desk Bohemian Rustic Farmhouse Steel Fire
By Globe Wernicke, Shaw Walker
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Wonderful example of 19th century Laboratory (Institutional, Academia) Furniture. Writing desk with
Category

1920s American Industrial Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Soapstone, Brass, Steel

Antique 19th Century Oak Writing Desk / Table – Fine Quality Furniture
Located in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
Antique 19th Century Oak Writing Desk / Table – Fine Quality Furniture A rare decorative find
Category

1880s British Victorian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Wood

Emile Galle. An Art Nouveau Walnut writing desk with exceptional inlaid scenery
By Émile Gallé
Located in London, GB
An exhibition-quality Art Nouveau Walnut writing desk with an exceptional scene depicting moored
Category

Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

French Marble Top Bistro Cafe Table or Writing Desk
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Versatile French marble top rectangular cafe table or writing desk with a classic Provencal black
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Marble, Iron

Outstanding Quality Antique Victorian Burr Walnut Bonheur De Jour Writing Desk
Located in Suffolk, GB
Outstanding quality antique Victorian burr walnut Bonheur de Jour writing desk having a beautifully
Category

19th Century French Victorian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

Chinese Scroll Foot Writing Desk, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
The streamlined form of this 19th-century Chinese writing desk is softened with subtle carved
Category

Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Elm

Victorian writing table
Located in BEEKBERGEN, NL
Beautiful antique Victorian mahogany writing desk. With three drawers on each side. In perfect
Category

1850s English Early Victorian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany

18th Century Oak Low Boy, Writing Desk This is a good solid country made piece
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
18th Century Oak Low Boy, Writing Desk This is a good solid country made piece, it has 3 drawers
Category

18th Century Georgian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Oak

Louis XV Style Writing Desk, Gilt-Bronze Mounted, Circa 1900, France
By Maison Millet
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Fine Louis XV Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Walnut and Bois Satiné Parquetry Writing Desk, ‘Bureau en
Category

19th Century French Louis XV Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

Fornasetti Decorated Antique Italian Writing Desk
By Fornasetti
Located in Hudson, NY
pattern of gold and silver-colored skeleton keys. The desk features a drop down leather topped writing
Category

Early 19th Century Italian Empire Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany

Antique Boulle Style Inlaid Brass Ormolu Mount Ebonized Writing Table Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique Boulle Style Inlaid Antique Brass Ormolu Mount Ebonized Single Drawer Writing Desk Table
Category

Late 19th Century Baroque Revival Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

Regency Rosewood Slant Lid Writing Desk
Located in Essex, MA
Finely crafted with a hinged leather writing lid enclosing a fitted interior comprising drawers
Category

Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Rosewood

French 19th Century Ladies Writing Desk
Located in Brighton, Sussex
an inset writing tablet, drawers and pigeon holes. Raised on elegant cabriole legs, free standing.
Category

19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany

Rare 19th Century English Writing Desk
By Holland Sons
Located in London, GB
by concealed spring operated buttons: the writing surface edged with a gilt bronze guard cast with
Category

1860s English Louis XV Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Ormolu

Antique Oak Side by Side with Bookcase Drop Front Writing Desk
Located in Freehold, NJ
This antique bookcase and writing desk side by side features hardwood construction, original oak
Category

Early 20th Century American American Craftsman Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Oak

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Writing Desk Secretary
Located in San Angelo, TX
This beautiful and unique 19th century Swedish Gustavian writing desk is perfect for any room or
Category

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Wood, Pine, Paint

19th Century French Louis XVI Style Satinwood Writing Desk W/ Green Vinyl
Located in Astoria, NY
An elegant late 19th-century French writing desk in the Louis XVI style, sourced from Provence
Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

Anglo-Indian Rosewood Writing Desk, India, circa 1825
Located in Spring Valley, NY
Elegant and finely crafted rosewood and ivory inlay traveller's writing desk from the late Mughal
Category

1820s Indian Islamic Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Ivory, Rosewood

Original Louis XV Carved Sideboard with Writing Desk with Dark Patina Finish
Located in Cesena, FC
Original Louis XV carved sideboard with writing desk with dark patina finish. Louis XV sideboard
Category

Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

Late 19th Century Small Ladies’ Writing Desk
Located in Stahnsdorf, DE
Masterfully Crafted Small Ladies’ Writing Desk A superbly detailed ladies’ secretary desk, richly
Category

1890s French Louis XVI Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

Biedermeier Drawers Writing Desk Secrétaire Cabinet Swedish Ormolu Detail
Located in Lewes, England
Swedish antique Biedermeier writing desk chiffonier secrétaire cabinet in highly quilted golden
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Birch

18th Century Original Painted Writing Desk Secretary, Sweden
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A late 18th Century Folk Art Baroque Scandinavian original painted writing desk secretary. This
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Baroque Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

A fine 19th c French Louis XV writing desk signed A . Beurdeley
By Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine 19th century French Louis XV writing desk by Alfred Beurdelay. Original leather top with
Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

Rare English Regency Writing Desk With Decorative Brass Trim by Wells Lambe
By John Lambe
Located in Reading, Berkshire
writing desks (writing boxes, as we know them today) and dressing cases. Antique lap desks had hinged
Category

19th Century British Regency Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

19th Century English Writing Desk with Drawers and Hinged Door and Original Hand
Located in Marbella, ES
19th Century English Writing Desk with Drawers and Hinged Door and Original Handles
Category

19th Century English Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

Oak Roll Top Secretary Desk with Drawers
Located in Madrid, ES
Oak secretary / writing desk from circa 1900's. Featuring a roll-up flap with underlying writing
Category

Early 20th Century British Edwardian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

18th Century Spanish Walnut Writing Desk with Door and Drawers in the Interior
Located in Marbella, ES
18th Century Spanish walnut writing desk with door and drawers in the Interior.
Category

18th Century Spanish Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

17th Century North Italian Ebonized Baroque Desk
Located in Basingstoke, Hampshire
An unusual late 17th century North Italian Baroque ebonized writing desk - of serpentine form
Category

17th Century Italian Baroque Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Pine

Antique English Chinese Rosewood Console or Writing Desk Table
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This is a beautiful Antique English Chinese Rosewood Console or Writing Desk Table. all hand carved
Category

Late 19th Century British Chinese Chippendale Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Rosewood

Antique Victorian Mahogany Spinet Piano Style Flip Top Secretary Writing Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique Victorian Mahogany Spinet Piano Style Flip Top Secretary Writing Desk. Item features 3
Category

Early 20th Century Victorian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany

Late 19th Century French Ladies Writing Desk
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality late 19th century French bureau De-Dame, having wonderful marquetry floral inlay to the fall and top, opening to reveal a shelf, drawers and a slide opening to a well....
Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany

Late 19th-Century French Walnut Bedside Cabinet with Hidden Writing Desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
writing desk function. The elegant serpentine front is fitted with three drawers, each adorned with finely
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

Japanese Meiji Gilt Lacquer Writing Desk Poem Box
Located in Chicago, IL
storage case. Additional Dimensions: Writing Desk: 25"W x 14.25"D x 5.25"H Poem Box: 3.75"W x 16"D x
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mother-of-Pearl, Wood

Biedermeier Drawers Writing Desk Secrétaire Cabinet Swedish Ormolu Detail 1800s
Located in Lewes, England
Exceptional Swedish antique Biedermeier writing desk chiffonier secrétaire cabinet in highly
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Birch

Antique Italian Renaissance Revival Walnut Figural Carved Writing Desk 52"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Neo-Renaissance Revival writing desk. Made of walnut featuring Neoclassical styling with
Category

Late 19th Century Renaissance Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

French 19th Century Walnut Neoclassical Writing Desk or Side Table
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Elegant petite antique writing desk that could also be used as a side table, commonly referred to
Category

19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

Antique Victorian c.1860 Mahogany Twin Pedestal Writing Desk – Quality Furniture
Located in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
Antique Victorian c.1860 Mahogany Twin Pedestal Writing Desk – Quality Furniture An attractive
Category

1860s British Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Wood

Antique English Console Table Writing Desk Jacobean Barley Twist Carved Oak
Located in Shreveport, LA
Antique English Console Table Writing Desk Jacobean Barley Twist Carved Oak c1890 . Direct from
Category

Late 19th Century British Jacobean Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Oak

19th Century Chinese Carved Beech Wood Writing Desk
Located in Pomona, CA
This unique writing desk has a multitude of drawers in the front and both sides and back are nicely
Category

19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Beech

Mid 19th century Swedish painted table top writing desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Mid 19th century Swedish painted table top writing desk circa 1850. Good quality table top bureau
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Pine, Paint

Fine English 19th Century Mahogany Secretary-Desk
Located in Long Island City, NY
A fine English table with a "hidden" writing desk/ secretary opening via three articulated
Category

Late 19th Century British Edwardian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany

Antique French Writing Table
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Large antique French chestnut writing desk with 2 drawers. Beautiful weathered patina. In perfect
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Chestnut

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Style Secretary / Writing Desk - Painted
Located in Kvidinge, SE
Swedish Gustavian Secretary / Writing Desk from early 19th century A rectangular top sitting above
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

Antique French Louis XVI Style Walnut Writing Desk
Located in Astoria, NY
A refined late 19th century French Louis XVI style walnut writing table, sourced in Provence. The
Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

Mid 19th century burr campaign lap writing desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Mid 19th century burr campaign lap desk circa 1860. Good quality burr writing box. Beautifully
Category

Mid-19th Century English Campaign Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

Mid 19th century Swedish burr birch writing desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
.  Shaped top with concealed drawer below.  Fall opens to form the writing surface and a fully fitted
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Birch

Antique French Mahogany Drop Front Brass Gallery Secretary Writing Desk 40"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique French Victorian secretary / library writing desk. Made of mahogany featuring drop front
Category

Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany

19th Century Antique Chinese Carved Secretary/Writing Desk
Located in Pomona, CA
This beautiful carved secretary/writing desk is traditional simply design with three drawers on the
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Elm

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Antique Writing Desk For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the antique writing desk you’re looking for. Frequently made of wood, mahogany and metal, every antique writing desk was constructed with great care. Your living room may not be complete without an antique writing desk — find older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 20th Century. An antique writing desk made by Victorian designers — as well as those associated with Louis XVI — is very popular. Many designers have produced at least one well-made antique writing desk over the years, but those crafted by Gillows of Lancaster London, François Linke and Maple Co. are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

How Much is a Antique Writing Desk?

Prices for an antique writing desk can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $50 and can go as high as $1,740,240, while the average can fetch as much as $4,501.

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 Antique Writing Desk
  • 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019

    A writing desk may refer to a desk with a top, often sloping, for writing on or to a portable case with compartments to hold writing materials and a surface for writing.

  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
    A small writing table is also called a davenport table or davenport desk. They normally feature a sloped or inclined top attached with hinges to the back of the table. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage davenport desks.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021
    A writing desk with drawers is also called a secretary. It is a desk with drawers, one of which can be pushed out and the front of the desk lowered to create a flat writing surface. These writing desks have been made in a variety of styles over the years. Shop for a variety of writing tables with drawers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023
    What an old-fashioned writing desk is called varies by design. Pieces with drop-down fronts are secretary desks (these are typically made of two parts: a chest of drawers on the bottom and a hutch or cupboard with shelves on the top), while ones that rest on two pillars, cabinets or bookcases are pedestal desks. A desk with a small writing surface positioned in front of drawers and cubbies is a bureau à gradin. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of desks.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    An antique Davenport desk is a small writing desk, usually with four drawers on one side. The desk would have elaborately decorated supports and a recessed space for adequate legroom. Shop a collection of Davenport desks from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
    1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A Davenport desk is a type of small desk with a distinct inclined desktop. The desktop covers a large storage compartment meant for keeping paper and other writing materials. Popular in the 19th century, Davenport desks are still sought after today. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of antique Davenport desks from some of the world’s top sellers.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023
    What antique desks are called depends on their design. A desk with chair cutouts on both sides is a partner desk, while one with a pull-down writing surface is a secretary. On a Davenport desk, the desktop lifts to reveal a storage area. Find a variety of antique, vintage and contemporary desks on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023
    In French, the term for a writing desk that often featured a drop-down writing surface is secretaire. This type of desk is called a secretary desk in English. Simply put, a secretary desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture with a hinged writing surface that folds open or drops down. When the leaf is folded out, small inner storage compartments, which are called pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers, are revealed. On 1stDibs, shop antique secretary desks from some of the world's top sellers.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    To tell if a roll-top desk is an antique, look closely at the materials. Real antiques feature hardwoods like cherry, mahogany and black walnut. If you detect the use of engineered woods, the desk is a reproduction. Also, early pieces show off irregular dovetail joints. Joints that appear perfectly uniform indicate that a roll-top desk is a more recent mass-produced piece. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of expertly vetted antique roll-top desks.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A variety of factors can determine the exact age of an antique roll top desk. Some things to look for is the type of wood and craftsmanship used to create the desk. Typically, older desks will be made from heavier wood. You can also check for a maker’s marks to determine the age. When in doubt, work with a certified appraiser to determine the authenticity of your roll top desk. You’ll find a variety of expertly vetted roll top desks on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021
    An antique secretary desk will range in value depending on its authenticity and condition. The price can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. On 1stDibs find the antique secretary desk you’re looking for today.