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George II Green Japanned Secretary Desk
Located in Essex, MA
In two sections with double arched cornice over a pair of etched, beveled mirror doors enclosing shelves and cubbies, the base with hinged fold down writing lid with a fitted interio...
Category
Antique 1740s English George II Secretaires
Bureau and Display Cabinet by Kaj Winding
By Poul Jeppesens Møbelfabrik
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Bureau and display cabinet in rosewood. Maker P. Jeppesen.
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Secretaires
19th Century Grand English Georgian Hand Carved Oak Secretary or Bookcase
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century English Georgian secretary or bookcase is a magnificent example of the genre, with elaborately carved facing arches and latticework creating a regal crown atop the glaze...
Category
Antique 1880s English Georgian Secretaires
Materials
Oak
Late 18th Century English Mahogany Secretary Bookcase with Fall Front
Located in Dallas, TX
late 18th century English mahogany desk and bookcase with fall front, broken pediment top with dentil molded cornice, AS FOUND
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English George III Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Art Deco Gilbert Rohde Paldao Dropfront Desk/Secretary
By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller
Located in Atlanta, GA
Art Deco transiting to Streamline modern drop front desk/secretary designed by Gilbert Rohde in 1940s and manufactured by Herman Miller. Exotic paldao veneer. It has a draw and a dro...
Category
Vintage 1940s American Streamlined Moderne Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Lacquered Secretary or Dresser by T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb
By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lacquered secretary or dresser by T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb.
Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Materials
Lacquer
French Boulle Napoleon III Secretary Desk
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Chorzów, PL
Unique Louis XV style secretary desk cabinet in Boulle style.
Brass marquetry on a background of red tortoiseshell with gilt bronze ornaments.
Upper part is a cabinet with two dra...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Secretaires
Materials
Tortoise Shell
Large Ormolu-Mounted Ebonized Wood and Viennese Enamel Bonheur du Jour
Located in London, GB
The numerous enamel panels of varying sizes, depicting mythological scenes, the cabinet of rare form, adorned with pilasters, twisted columns and a central dome, mounted with ormolu ...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Secretaires
Materials
Enamel
Mirror cabinet -bar by Michel Pigneres, Sandro Petti Around 1970
By Michel Pigneres, Sandro Petti
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Mirror cabinet -bar by Michel Pigneres, Sandro Petti Around 1970.
Secretary Bar by Michel Pigneres with 2 doors opening onto a part that can be used as a bar with interior lighting, ...
Category
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Materials
Brass, Steel, Chrome
1860 Gustavia Style Swedish Painted Drop Front Secretary With Drawers
Located in Charleston, SC
Swedish Gustavian style painted, carved details drop-front secretary from circa 1860 with multiple inner drawers on base cabinet with tree large drawers on tapered carved feet.
Desk ...
Category
Antique 19th Century Secretaires
Materials
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
Secretaire Campaign Chest
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
Early 19th century military chest with secretaire drawer. Retaining original handles and also the
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English British Colonial Commodes and Chests ...
Materials
Teak
English 19th Century Secretaires Desk
Located in Santa Monica, CA
English 19th century secretaires desk with three outer and three inner drawers and seven inner
Category
Antique 1870s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Regency Secretaire Bookcase, circa 1830
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
English Regency mahogany secretaire bookcase decorated with sign writing 19th century.
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Bookcases
Antique Regency Mahogany Secretaire Bookcase
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
secretaire base with original brass knobs and ebonized decoration standing on elegant turned feet.
Category
Antique 19th Century English Regency Bookcases
Materials
Mahogany
Elegant NeoClassical Secretaire/Bookcase.
Located in Miami, FL
Elegant 1950`s NeoClassical style secretaire/bookcase. Black tooled leather surface, bookcase doors
Category
Vintage 1950s American Bookcases
Ico Parisi 50s Italy wood , black iron Dresser secretaire, desk
By Ico Parisi
Located in Valladolid, ES
Gorgeous Mid-Century Positano Dressing Table by Ico & Luisa Parisi, 1950s. Overall in good condition. There are signs of wear over time. The height (77 cm) refers to the top of the d...
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Mirror, Wood
George III Mahogany Secretaire Bookcase
Located in Essex, MA
With central cartouche with star carving between a carved broken arch cornice, over a central glazed door with secret push button release, the door carved with a pair of stop fluted ...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English George III Bookcases
Elegant NeoClassical French Secretaire/Bookcase.
Located in Miami, FL
Elegant 1950`s French secretaire/bookcase. Black tooled leather surface, bookcase doors and
Category
Vintage 1950s French Desks
Pair of Victorian Ormolu, Marble and Porcelain Secretaires
Located in London, GB
style. A porcelain-mounted and ebony veneered secrétaire by Blake and a pair of porcelain and rosewood
Category
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Cabinets
Materials
Marble, Ormolu
Italian Ebony and Bone Inlay Marquetry Secretaire Desk with Chair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th century Italian ebony and bone inlay marquetry secretaire desk with a matching chair.
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ebony, Bone
20th Century Italian Rosewood Cabinet, Cherrywood Secretaire by Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century Modern, detailed "petit secretaire". The exterior is made of Palisander wood
Category
20th Century Italian Art Deco Cabinets
Materials
Metal, Brass
Art Deco Italian Paolo Buffa black and white couple of Cabinets Secretaries
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Valladolid, ES
One of a kind pair of cabinet-secretaire in black lacquer wood and parchement attibuted to Paolo
Category
Vintage 1940s Art Deco Cabinets
Materials
Leather, Wood, Lacquer, Parchment Paper
Satin Birch Biedermeier Secretaire
Located in Banner Elk, NC
Satin Birch Biedermeier secretaire, with three drawers below a drop front secretary with ivory
Category
Antique Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Secretaires
18th-19th Century Black Swedish Gustavian Two Part Pinewood Bureau, Secretaire
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Gustavian Two Part Pinewood Bureau, Secretaire
PE-1069
A 18th - 19th Century, black, antique Swedish
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Baroque Secretaires
Materials
Metal, Bronze
Chinoiserie Lacquer Secretaire Bookcase
By Maitland Smith
Located in Bradenton, FL
This chinoiserie faux coromandel secretary with it’s intricate japanning. The upper portion is full of drawers and cubby holes, with a fold down writing surface. The bottom section l...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Lacquer
Small Walnut Drop Front Secretaire with Black Painted Inside with Key
Located in Washington, DC
Small walnut drop front Secretaire with black painted inside. With key.
(The flap is 25 inches
Category
Antique Early 1800s French Secretaires
Materials
Walnut, Paint
Asian Chinoiserie Black Lacquer and Gold Secretary Desk Hand Painted Secretaire
Located in West Hartford, CT
Stunning, one of a kind, vintage Asian black and gold lacquer chinoiserie secretary desk. What
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Princely Empire Secretaire Writing Furniture, circa 1815
Located in Berlin, DE
High-quality Cuba mahogany on solid conifers. Architecturally articulated front. High-right body on padfoot feet. Supplied with three drawers. Straight writing board, behind it archi...
Category
Antique 19th Century German Biedermeier Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century Walnut Secretaire with White Marble Top
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
Antique Secrétaire desk with fold down front desk top and white marble top. The wood desk has a
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Secretaires
Materials
Belgian Black Marble
Black Lacquer Hand Painted Chinoiserie Black Lacquer Secretary Writing Desk
By Edward Wormley, James Mont
Located in Chattanooga, TN
This incomparable slant-front chinoiserie black lacquer secretary desk depicts a serene
Category
Vintage 1970s American Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Secretary Bookcase
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Distinctive secretary bookcase made in the Chinese taste featuring a decorative gilt faux bamboo trimmed case with hand-painted asian scenes. The domed top has a lighted interior wit...
Category
20th Century American Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Chinoiserie Carved Black Lacquer Secretary Desk
Located in Manhasset, NY
Chinoiserie carved black lacquer secretary desk having a black lacquer and gilt slant top and
Category
Late 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Wood
18th Century Swedish Black Neoclassical Secretary
Located in Kramfors, SE
Black Swedish secretary from the last decade of the 18th century. The secretary is neoclassical, or
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Neoclassical Secretaires
Materials
Pine
English Georgian Black Lacquer with Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in San Francisco, CA
English Georgian black lacquer and chinoiserie decorated slant front secretary cabinet on bracket
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century English George III Secretaires
Materials
Oak
Chinoiserie Breakfront China Hutch Drop Front Secretary Bookcase Black Lacquer
Located in Topeka, KS
composed of 2 pieces, each with black lacquered wood frames with an all-over intentional distressed finish
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Brass, Steel
19th Century Black Lacquered Secretary with Raised Chinoiserie Design
Located in Dallas, TX
Lovely 19th century Italian black lacquered secretary. Beautifully done raised chinoiserie design
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Italian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Secretary Writing Desk Swedish Black Blue Interior, 18th Century, Sweden
Located in New York, NY
Secretary writing desk Swedish black blue interior, 18th century, Sweden. A secretary made during
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century Swedish Baroque Secretaires
Wonderful Chinoiserie Queen Anne Black Lacquered Bureau Desk Painted Bookcase
Located in Roslyn, NY
Wonderful chinoiserie Queen Anne style black lacquered bureau desk painted bookcase.
Measures
Category
Vintage 1960s Secretaires
Narrow Raised Lacquer Black Chinoiserie Slatfront Secretary Desk circa 1950
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
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 delive...
Category
Vintage 1950s Unknown Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Black Painted Gustavian Style Writing Desk Secretary, 18th Century Denmark
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Period Danish Black Painted Gustavian Style Writing Desk Secretary. Refinished in painted black
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century Danish Baroque Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Chinoiserie Black and Gold Hand Painted Secretary Desk
Located in West Hartford, CT
Magnificent Chinoiserie decorated black secretary desk with exquisite hand painted landscape
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Antique Black Painted Secretary Rolltop Desk, Denmark circa 1840
Located in Round Top, TX
This lovely antique Danish secretary has been given a new black painted finish. The roll top desk
Category
Antique 19th Century Danish Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Louis Philippe Burl Walnut Secretary with Black Marble Top
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant antique fruitwood "secretaire a abattant" was found in Avignon, France; crafted circa
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Secretaires
Materials
Marble
English Chinoiserie Black and Gold Tall Secretary / Slant Front Desk
Located in Tarry Town, NY
English hand decorated and painted Japanned secretary from the 1930s with black , red and gold
Category
Vintage 1930s English Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Gold, Brass
Strong 1930s French Art Deco Bureau in Black Lacquer with Drawers
Located in Ulm, DE
Strong bureau with drawers
Original Art Deco, France, 1930s
High quality restoration
Black
Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Secretaires
Materials
Lacquer
English Chinoiserie 1920s Black and Gold Tall Secretary with Slant Front Desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
An English tall Japanned secretary from the early 20th century with black and gold chinoiserie
Category
Early 20th Century English Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Henkel-Harris 2 Part Solid Wild Black Cherry Secretary Drop Front Desk Bookcase
By Henkel Harris, Established Lines, Baker Furniture Company
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Henkel-Harris 2 Part Solid Wild Black Cherry Secretary Drop Front Desk Bookcase
Category
20th Century American Chippendale Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Swedish Gustavian Style Secretary Drop-Front Desk
Located in Manhasset, NY
A charming Swedish Gustavian style secretaire a abattant, late 19th-early 20th century, overall
Category
Antique 19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Lovely Chinoiserie Style Secretary
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Black and gold hand-painted chinoiserie style secretary having aged paned mirror front on single
Category
Vintage 1950s American Chinoiserie Secretaires
Chinoiserie Hand-Painted English Secretary
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1930's hand-painted chinoiserie English Secretary out of a Park Avenue Estate in New York City.
I love the top of this piece!
Category
Vintage 1930s English Secretaires
Baker Neoclassical Ebonized Secretary Bookcase
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Baker neoclassical ebonized secretary bookcase, double mullion doors with two glass that opens to reveal storage compartment with two shelves (the second needs to be installed) and a...
Category
20th Century Neoclassical Secretaires
Rare Sesamo Secretary by Frattini for Bernini
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Munich, DE
Designed by Gianfranco Frattini in 1981 and made by Bernini. Signed and in good condition.
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Radius One Chrome Letter Tray by William Sklaroff for Smith Metal Arts
By William Sklaroff, Smith Metal Arts
Located in San Diego, CA
Letter tray in polished aluminum finish with black enamel lining from the Radius One Metal
Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Materials
Chrome
George Nelson Herman Miller Secretary Chest
By George Nelson
Located in Phoenix, AZ
George Nelson For Herman Miller Primavera chest, circa 1947. This beautiful example is done in walnut and ebonized walnut and has a drop down walnut front with ebonized interior draw...
Category
Vintage 1940s American Secretaires
Materials
Metal
George III Japanned Slant Lid Desk
Located in Essex, MA
Rectangular top with rectangular slant lid with fitted desk interior over two small drawers above three full size drawers and raised on bracket feet. Original Japanned decoration.
Category
Antique 18th Century British George III Secretaires
Rococo Chinoiserie Secretary, Swedish, 18th Century, Origin Sweden, circa 1750
Located in New York, NY
Rococo 18th century secretary in two parts, 19th century chinoiserie painting with the original, 18th century paint found underneath, origin Sweden, circa 1750. The top cabinet fitte...
Category
Antique 18th Century Swedish Rococo Secretaires
Materials
Paint
Georgian Fall-Front Secretary Desk in Carved Oak, England, circa 1800
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
Early 19th century oak English fall-front secretary with carvings of acanthus leaves and urns.
Note: Relaxed, antique condition. Drawers are working well and original brasses are com...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Secretaires
Materials
Oak
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Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Black Secretaire", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.
Black Secretaire For Sale on 1stDibs
Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the black secretaire you’re looking for at 1stDibs. A black secretaire — often made from wood, metal and brass — can elevate any home. Find 126 options for an antique or vintage black secretaire now, or shop our selection of 6 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished piece. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer black secretaire, there are earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. Each black secretaire bearing Georgian, Baroque or Art Deco hallmarks is very popular. T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Baker Furniture Company and Barbara Schweizer each produced at least one beautiful black secretaire that is worth considering.
How Much is a Black Secretaire?
The average selling price for a black secretaire at 1stDibs is $5,949, while they’re typically $608 on the low end and $346,832 for the highest priced.
Finding the Right Secretaires for You
Your antique, new or vintage secretary desk has become the (chic) saving grace of the "new normal" at home.
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 — pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers — are revealed.
Traditionally, a secretary is composed of two parts — a chest of drawers on the bottom and a cabinet with shelves on the top. Taking its name from the French word for the piece, secrétaire, the secretary desk dates back to the 18th century, when Paris-based cabinetmaker Jean-François Oeben, known for his exquisite marquetry and clever mechanical desks, is thought to have invented the secrétaire à abbattant, or drop-leaf desk.
While the defining drop-down feature of the secretary desk has remained constant, the materials used, as well as its configuration, size and style have evolved over time.
At first, secretaries were typically made from exotic woods, like rosewood, tulipwood and kingwood; later, hardwoods like cherry, maple, oak and mahogany were more common. The desks also became lighter, with space carved out of the lower half for the writer’s feet or with drawers replaced by legs — making them more table-like.
When open, the secretary is a dynamic, versatile Wunderkammer. When closed, it’s a sophisticated, space-saving piece of furniture.
“A fine secretary with a good provenance adds stature and credence to its owner — it is a cornerstone piece,” says antiques dealer Stanley Weiss, who specializes in 18th- and 19th-century English and American furniture. “In this disposable world, fine furniture is always passed on and speaks to who its owner is.”
No matter what style or period you choose, and no matter how you decide to use it, the timeless, flexible secretary desk is bound to become an indispensable part of your daily routine.
Browse a range of antique and vintage secretary desks on 1stDibs, including mid-century modern secretaires, Georgian secretaires and others.
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