Chinoiserie Secretary
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English George III Style Chinoiserie Lacquered Secretary Bookcase
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Distinctive Italian chinoiserie lacquered secretary bookcase crafted in the English George III
Category
20th Century Italian Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Chinoiserie Style Carved Black Lacquer Secretary Desk, Bookcase, Cabinet
Located in Plainview, NY
A beautiful Chinoiserie style carved black lacquer secretary desk having a black lacquer and gilt
Category
20th Century Chinoiserie Cabinets
Materials
Metal
Georgian Style Chinoiserie Decorated Secretary Bookcase by Sarreid
By Sarreid Ltd.
Located in Rio Vista, CA
the chinoiserie revival taste. The two-part bookcase is fronted by two large doors inset with antiqued
Category
20th Century American Chinoiserie Bookcases
Materials
Glass, Wood
George III Style Chinoiserie Red Lacquered Secretary Bookcase
Located in Essex, MA
A George III style chinoiserie red lacquered bureau bookcase, the broken dentil cornice with gilt
Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Sideboards
Materials
Oak, Lacquer
Impressive 18th Century Chinoiserie Red Lacquered Drop Front Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
An impressive 18th century English chinoiserie red lacquered drop front secretary. Fine quality
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Harewood
Red Chinoiserie Paint Decorated John Widdicomb Tombstone Mirrored Secretary Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a beautiful red chinoiserie paint decorated secretary desk by John Widdicomb. The desk
Category
Vintage 1950s American Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
A fine 19th century English Chinoiserie designed slant front secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine 19th century English Chinoiserie decorated slant front secretary . Fine raised detail with
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Baker Red Chinoiserie Japanned 1593 Venetian Secretary Desk Collectors Edition
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Baker red chinoiserie japanned 1593 Venetian secretary desk - collectors edition. Item features
Category
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Chinoiserie Breakfront China Hutch Drop Front Secretary Bookcase Black Lacquer
Located in Topeka, KS
Gorgeous vintage Chinoiserie breakfront China hutch cabinet or drop front secretary bookcase
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Brass, Steel
English Chinoiserie Style Lacquered Parcel-Gilt Secretary
Located in Rio Vista, CA
chinoiserie taste. The top of the case has a broken pediment over two decorated doors. The fitted interior has
Category
20th Century Italian Georgian Secretaires
Materials
Brass
English Chinoiserie Black and Gold Tall Secretary / Slant Front Desk
Located in Tarry Town, NY
chinoiserie décor with drop slant front desk. The secretary features a twin front door top. When open it
Category
Vintage 1930s English Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Gold, Brass
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
Narrow Raised Lacquer Black Chinoiserie Slatfront Secretary Desk circa 1950
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
raised Chinoiserie scenery of various wise elders and townspeople doing their daily business. The desk is
Category
Vintage 1950s Unknown Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Karges Oriental Bubble Glass China Cabinet Breakfront Secretary Desk Chinoiserie
By Karges Furniture
Located in Philadelphia, PA
High quality vintage black oriental bubble glass breakfront with drop front leather top desk by Karges. This stately two part cabinet features bubble glass, hand-painted oriental sce...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Chinoiserie Bookcases
Materials
Glass, Wood
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
George III Style Chinoiserie Lacquered Secretary Bookcase Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Grand English George III style secretaire bookcase embellished with parcel gilt chinoiserie
Category
20th Century American George III Secretaires
Materials
Brass
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
20th Century Painted and Gilt Chinoiserie Decorated Two-Part Secretary Desk
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This charming Italian neoclassical style chinoiserie decorated secretary desk features an arched
Category
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Secretaires
Materials
Brass
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
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Lacquer
Antique Ebony Asian Drop Front Desk Secretary with Carved Front
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome ebony wood Asian drop front desk or secretary with a carved design on the drop front. It
Category
Early 20th Century Chinoiserie Desks
Materials
Brass
19th Century English Lacquered Gilt Chinoisoire Bookcase Secretary or Desk
Located in Savannah, GA
This is a lacquered gilt chinoiserie bookcase secretary or desk made in England, circa 1830. There
Category
Antique 1830s English George IV Secretaires
Materials
Giltwood
Baker Furniture Style William
Mary Chinoiserie Black Lacquered Bureau Desk
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional William & Mary or Georgian Chinoiserie style drop front secretary desk
In the
Category
Vintage 1980s American William and Mary Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in New York, NY
Lacquered and parcel gilt Chinoiserie secretary with fitted interior, leather writing surface and
Category
Antique 19th Century French Secretaires
Materials
Marble
$12,500
Chinoiserie secretary
Located in Seattle, WA
Beautiful red chinoiserie secretary with raised gesso painted decoration. Wonderful intricate
Category
Antique 19th Century Secretaires
Materials
Brass
$23,000
Italian Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
Large black and gold chinoiserie secretary created for East and Orient Company
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Secretaires
Petite Chinoiserie Secretary Bookcase
Located in New York City, NY
Petite Chinoiserie Secretary Bookcase with a faux lacquer finish of chinese figures and landscape.
Category
Early 20th Century American Furniture
Bombe
Italian Red Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Natchez, MS
19th c. Venetian Red Chinoiserie Secretary. Very exagerated Bombe' form. Wonderful interior.
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Paint
Petite Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
Chinoiserie Secretary of Small Proportions. The double bonnet with molding crowns a pair of glass
Category
20th Century English Secretaires
Red Chinoiserie Secretary 20th Century Reproduction
Located in Stamford, CT
English red chinoiserie secretary with mirrored doors, circa 1980's
Category
20th Century Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Wood
19th Century Red Lacuered Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Stamford, CT
19th Century Red Lacquered Chinoiserie Secretary.
Category
Antique 19th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Hand-Painted English Red Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Stamford, CT
Exceptional hand-painted English red chinoiserie secretary with mirrored doors and multiple hidden
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Mirror
Maitland Smith Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Stamford, CT
Black on the outside and Hermes orange on the inside --a beautifully lacquered chinoiserie
Category
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Desks
Petite Vintage Chinoiserie Secretary or Cabinet, 1950
By Jasper Furniture Company
Located in Westport, CT
Add a pop of artful interest! Petite vintage chinoiserie secretary or cabinet, 1950 awesome! Petite
Category
Mid-20th Century American Chinoiserie Secretaires
19th Century Chinoiserie secretary desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
Wonderful Chinoiserie secretary desk with 4 large front drawers and a pull-down top that reveals 6
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks
Carved Rosewood 19th Century English Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Morristown, NJ
Carved Rosewood 19th Century English Chinoiserie Secretary.
Category
Antique 19th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Rosewood
Red Japanned Lacquer Work Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Washington, DC
"Japanned" Chinoiserie Secretary Probably Italian, two-doors over fall-front desk with interior
Category
20th Century Italian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Vintage Italian Rococo Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Hudson, NY
a beautiful tall vintage Italian Chinoiserie secretary. the base has 3 drawers, and the stepped
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century Double Dome Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th Century Double Dome Chinoiserie Secretary. Original Finish throughout. Painting is of Floral
Category
Antique 19th Century Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Stunning 18th Century Portuguese Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
18th Century Portuguese Chinoiserie Secretary with Glazed Doors. The carved broken pediment with
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Portuguese Secretaires
Materials
Pine, Oak
Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Atlanta, GA
Marble top Louis XV style secretary with Chinoiserie lacquer panels.
To see more items from
Category
Early 20th Century French Secretaires
Materials
Marble
$5,200
Red 18th Century Portuguese Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
18th Century Portuguese Chinoiserie Secretary of Fanciful Design. This secretary of somewhat naive
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Portuguese Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Red chinoiserie secretary
Located in Santa Monica, CA
decorative piece of furniture with patina - decoration in relief
Category
Early 20th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Gold Leaf
English Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Norwalk, CT
Black lacquered with gilt figural and landscape decoration, the broken pediment top with carved and gilt palmette finial. The double doors open to a red lacquered interior with gilt...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Secretaires
English Style Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Fairhope, AL
Red, gold and black hand-painted chinoiserie lacquered secretary or bookcase with a fitted interior
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Secretaires
19th Century Chinoiserie Secretary Bookcase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Outstanding quality with an unusual blue hue including a blue leather
writing surface.
Category
Antique 19th Century English Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Metal
George III Black Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Stamford, CT
Offered here is a true George III black lacquer chinoiserie three drawer secretary with bun feet
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Secretaires
Early 1900s Chinoiserie Secretary Desk
Located in Summerland, CA
Highly decorative early 1900's Chinoiserie desk. Hand painted with exquisite fine details. Hidden
Category
Early 20th Century English Desks
Materials
Wood
Louis XV Style Chinoiserie Secretary, 1940
Located in Southampton, NY
Louis XV French style chinoiserie cabinet- could be utilized as a secretary, bar or bookcase
Category
Vintage 1940s French Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Georgian Period Chinoiserie Secretary Desk / Bookcase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Exquisitely and elaborately decorated with figures, pagodas, and florals.
The upper doors are decorated inside and out; and the book shelves are adjustable.
Category
Antique 18th Century English Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Dark Green Chinoiserie Secretary, 19th Century
Located in Houston, TX
Antique dark green and gilt chinoiserie decorated secretary with elaborate fitted interior. The
Category
Antique 19th Century British Secretaires
19th Century Queen Anne Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Lawrenceburg, TN
Queen Anne period double bonnet top bureau bookcase or secretary with tortoise-shell brown and gold
Category
Antique 19th Century English Queen Anne Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Black Lacquered Chinoiserie Secretary Form Cabinet
Located in Woodbury, CT
interior also decorated in the chinoiserie manner. The lower section, does not have a secretary drawer
Category
Early 20th Century British Regency Revival Cabinets
Superb 18th Century Chinoiserie Secretary Bookcase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Fashioned with detailed figures and landscapes, a nicely fitted interior and interior doors painted with depictions of bamboo. The piece is adorned with outstanding brasses. Doors ar...
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
18th Century English Red Chinoiserie Secretary Bookcase
Located in Natchez, MS
18th century English George III Secretary Bookcase with molded paneled doors over slant front and
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English George III Secretaires
Maitland Smith Queen Anne Style Chinoiserie Secretary Desk
By Maitland Smith
Located in Raleigh, NC
Dramatic Maitland Smith Queen Anne style secretary desk with plenty of work space, organizing
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Giltwood
Hand Painted Asian Chinoiserie Secretary Desk and Chair
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Asian chinoiserie faux bamboo desk with hutch and matching chair features hand painted tropical
Category
Vintage 1970s Chinoiserie Desks
Materials
Faux Bamboo, Wood
Baker 21st Century Contemporary Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Chicago, IL
Contemporary black lacquer chinoiserie Queen Anne style secretary by Baker has double doors, slant
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Brass
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Chinoiserie Secretary For Sale on 1stDibs
At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal chinoiserie secretary for your home. A chinoiserie secretary — often made from wood, lacquer and metal — can elevate any home. There are many kinds of the chinoiserie secretary you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 18th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. Each chinoiserie secretary bearing Georgian, Rococo or Mid-Century Modern hallmarks is very popular. Many designers have produced at least one well-made chinoiserie secretary over the years, but those crafted by Baker Furniture Company, John Widdicomb and Karges Furniture are often thought to be among the most beautiful.
How Much is a Chinoiserie Secretary?
Prices for a chinoiserie secretary start at $1,080 and top out at $50,000 with the average selling for $8,500.
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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Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Secretary
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Chinoiserie Breakfront
Georgian Style China Cabinet
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Laquered Chinese
Spanish Secretary
Venetian Secretary Desk
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Asian Secretary
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Chinese Brass Pagoda