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French Louis XV Style Marble Top Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Gorgeous French Louis XV style drop down secretaire a Abattant featuring extensive geometric inlay
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century French Empire Fall Front Desk
Abattant
By Jacob Frères
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A period French Empire fall front desk referred to as an Abattant. The case is constructed in a
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Desks
Materials
Bronze
Fantastic Art deco Secretaire Abattant
Located in Westport, CT
A streamline French Art Deco Secretaire Abattant in maple wood veneer with a drop front desk, when
Category
Early 20th Century French Secretaires
Fine Mahogany French Empire Period Secretaire a
Abattant, France Circa 1815
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
The richly figured mahogany case showing a black marble top over a single flush mounted drawer, the drop-down panel fronting an interior compartment housing small drawers and a gilt ...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Marble
Flame Mahogany Secretaire a Abattant
Located in London, GB
A fine early 19th century flame mahogany secretaire a abattant with ormolu mounts, the upper body
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century French Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Antique French Empire Walnut Drop Down Secretary Secretaire Desk Abattant
Located in West Hartford, CT
Beautiful tall 19th Century French Empire walnut secretaire abattant features elegant patterns
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Inlaid Secretaire à Abattant
Located in South Bend, IN
A stunning 19th century French Louis XVI style inlaid secretaire à abattant. The secretaire
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Exceptional French Ormolu-Mounted Mahogany Marquetry Secretaire a Abattant Desk
By Martin Carlin
Located in Queens, NY
A very fine and exceptional quality French ormolu/bronze mounted lacquered, mahogany and marquetry
Category
Antique 19th Century French Secretaires
Materials
Ormolu
French Louis XV Style Kingwood, Rosewood, Ormolu
Marble Abattant Secretary
Located in Big Flats, NY
A French Louis XV style abattant secretary offers shaped marble top over bookmatched kingwood and
Category
20th Century French Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Metal, Ormolu
Antique French Renaissance Secretary Abattant Desk Carved Oak Embossed Brass
Located in Shreveport, LA
Antique French Renaissance Secretary Abattant Desk Carved Oak Embossed Brass
~Direct from France
Category
Antique 19th Century French Renaissance Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Secrétaire à Abattant by Molitor
By Christian Dell
Located in New Orleans, LA
This most extraordinary secrétaire à abattant by Bernard Molitor displays superb proportion and
Category
Antique 18th Century French Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Ormolu
Antique French Empire Mahogany Secretary Drop Down Desk Abattant
Located in West Hartford, CT
Exquisite tall 19th century French Empire mahogany secretaire abattant which features elegant
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Secretaires
Materials
Granite
19th Century French Provincial Walnut Secretary Desk or Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This rare French Provincial secretaire a abattant or secretary desk features a long top drawer
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French French Provincial Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
French Empire Flamed Mahogany Secretaire a
Abattant Desk ca. 1830
Located in Shippensburg, PA
LOUIS PHILIPPE FLAMED MAHOGANY SECRETAIRE A'ABATTANT
France, circa 1830
Item # 407TCJ10P
This
Category
Antique 19th Century French Empire Desks
Materials
Brass, Bronze, Steel
French Empire Flamed Mahogany Secretaire a
Abattant Desk ca. 1830
Located in Shippensburg, PA
LOUIS PHILIPPE FLAMED MAHOGANY SECRETAIRE A'ABATTANT
France, circa 1830
Item # 407TCJ10P
This
Category
Antique 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Brass, Bronze, Steel
Antique French Louis XVI Style Inlaid Mahogany Secretaire à Abattant
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful petite antique French Louis XVI style drop front secretary desk
France, Circa Late
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks
Materials
Brass
Antique Second Empire French Marble-Top Flame Mahogany and Ormolu Abattant
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Second Empire French secrétaire à abattant features flame mahogany construction with long
Category
Antique 19th Century French Empire Desks
Materials
Ormolu
19th Century French Louis XV Style Inlaid Marble Top Abattant Secretaire
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous 19th century Louis XV style French marble top inlaid abattant secretaire. The secretaire
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Desks
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Lovely Louis-Philippe period Secretaire Abattant
Located in Westport, CT
Louis-Philippe Secretaire Abattant in a burl wanut veneer with St Anne bevelled marble top
Category
Antique 19th Century French Secretaires
Materials
Marble
Antique French Empire Mahogany Gilt-Bronze Mounted Marble-Top Abattant Secretary
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique Imported French Empire Flame Mahogany Gilt-Bronze Mounted Marble-Top Abattant Secretary
Category
Antique 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Brass
Louis XVI Style Secrataire a Abattant
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Fine Louis XVI style marble top stencilled and painted fall front Secrataire a Abattant with
Category
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks
Louis XV Stunning Secretary "a Abattant, "
Located in Greding, DE
Stunning Secretary "a Abattant", Louis XV, Palisander and Rosewood and finely inlaid "en papillon
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Secretaires
Materials
Palisander
Continental French Louis XV Style Hand Painted Mahogany and Ormolu Abattant
Located in Big Flats, NY
A continental French Louis XV style abattant offers mahogany construction with upper lng drawer
Category
20th Century French Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Bronze
19th C. French Mahogany Fall-Front Desk Secrétaire à Abattant
Located in Chicago, IL
19th century French mahogany Secre´taire a` Abattant / fall-front desk with marble top. There is a
Category
Antique 19th Century Secretaires
Materials
Marble
French 19th Century Marble-Top Mahogany and Fruitwood Secrétaire à Abattant
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A spectacular mahogany and fruitwood desk, with marble top, from 19th century, France. The marble
Category
Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
19th Century Empire Drop-Front Oak Secretary Desk or Abattant, Chest France
Located in Miami, FL
Secretaire a abattant, France circa 1820, Biedermeier period. The outside with fall front and three
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Biedermeier Secretaires
Drexel Heritage French Provincial Louis XV Carved Walnut Secrétaire À Abattant
By Drexel
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous French Provincial Louis XV style carved walnut drop-front secretary desk with shell
Category
Vintage 1970s American French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
French 18th Century Louis XVI Gilt-Bronze Floral Marquetry Secretaire à Àbattant
Located in Berlin, DE
French 18th Century Louis XVI Gilt-Bronze Floral Marquetry Secretaire à Àbattant
A fine gilt
Category
Antique 1770s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Mid-19th Century Kingwood Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Wiscasset, ME
This impeccably crafted French kingwood secretaire a abattant is as functional as it is stunning
Category
Antique 1860s French Louis XVI Cabinets
18th Century Louis XVI Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a late 18th century Period Louis XVI Provincial Secretaire a Abattant. The solid figured
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Desks
Materials
Brass
Antique French Louis XVI Custom Flame Mahogany and Bronze Marble Abattant
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Fench Louis XVI custom abattant features mahogany construction with marble top, flanking
Category
Early 20th Century European Desks
Materials
Bronze
French Inlaid Secrétaire à Abattant with Pull out Writing Table, 19th Century
By Napoléon III
Located in Houston, TX
Antique inlaid kingwood secretary cabinet with a drop down bottom cabinet. The writing surface pulls out from under the top cabinet. Inside the top cabinet is a silk lined interior w...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Cabinets
Materials
Kingwood
SATURDAY SALE .LOUIS XVI period "Secretaire a Abattant".
Located in Miami, FL
Elegant LOUIS XVI secretaire a abattant from the North East of France ( Lorraine ). Original grey
Category
Antique 19th Century French Desks
Materials
Marble, Bronze
French Empire Secretaire a Abattant in Brown Walnut with Grey Marble Top, 1810
Located in Berlin, DE
This beautiful French Empire secretaire a Abattant is veneered in walnut and has a grey marble top
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Marble
Drexel Heritage French Provincial Louis XV Carved Walnut Secrétaire À Abattant
By Drexel
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous French Provincial Louis XV style drop-front secretary desk
By Drexel Heritage
Category
Vintage 1970s American Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Fine Early 19th Century Mahogany Secrétaire à Abattant
Located in London, GB
A fine early 19th century figured mahogany Secrétaire à Abattant.
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Secretaires
An Antique Napoleon III Secrétaire à Abattant
Located in London, GB
platform.
French Circa 1870
Category
Antique 1870s French Napoleon III Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
Marquetry Secretaire a Abattant by Andre Gilbert
Located in New Orleans, LA
18th century in France, secretaires, writing bureaus, and bookcases became increasingly popular as an
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Secretaires
Materials
Rosewood, Mother-of-Pearl
19th Century Brazilian Rosewood Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Southampton, NJ
A stunning 1800s desk having Brazilian rosewood exterior and leather desk surface. A gorgeous and extremely rare secretary.
The black leather is in wonderful antique condition, wond...
Category
Antique 1880s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Rosewood
19th Century Régence Kingwood Small Secrétaire à Abattant
Located in Hixson, TN
A Fine Régence Kingwood small secrétaire à abattant with a marble top. The fall front secrétaire
Category
Antique 19th Century French Régence Secretaires
19th Century Louis XVI Style Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Troy, MI
Circa 1890s fall top desk or secretaire a abattant has a gray and white marble top, brass hardware
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Early 20th Century Hand-Painted Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Early 20th century handprinted secretaire a abattant with drop down door revealing five interior
Category
Early 20th Century French Provincial Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
19th Century Louis XVI Style Walnut Secretaire Abattant
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
19th Century Louis XVI Style Walnut Secretaire Abattant with white and grey marble top. Beautiful
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Brass
Baker Furniture French Empire Burl Wood Secrétaire á Abattant With Brass Ormolu
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
An outstanding French Empire or Neoclassical style drop front secretary desk
By Baker Furniture
Category
Vintage 1980s American Empire Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Louis XVI Secrétaire à Abattant by André Gilbert
By Andre Gilbert
Located in New Orleans, LA
This elegant Louis XVI secrétaire à abattant was crafted by the master ébéniste André Gilbert, a
Category
Antique 18th Century French Neoclassical Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Directoire Style Ebonised Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Troy, MI
Circa 1885 drop front secretary / armoire with ebonised finish and decorative brass hardware and mounts. Locking drop down compartment with inside drawers and brass gallery top.
Category
Antique 19th Century French Directoire Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Early 19th Century Louis XV-Style Secretaire a Abattant
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a good example of a transitional Louis XVI Secretaire a Abattant that dates to the
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Ormolu
Johnson Bros, Satinwood Marquetry
Bronze Secrétaire à Abattant, c1910
By Johnson Brothers
Located in Big Flats, NY
Intricately inlaid Johnson Bros. French Biedermeier style Secrétaire à Abattant (fall front desk
Category
Early 20th Century Louis XVI Desks
Materials
Bronze
Art Deco Secretaire Abattant by Jules Leleu Signed, Circa 1935
By Jules Leleu
Located in Forest Row, East Sussex
Leleu (1883-1961)
Origin: French
Date: Circa 1935
Item Number: 0512221
Parisian born, Jules Leleu
Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Secretaires
Materials
Rosewood
Louis XVI Ormolu-Mounted Kingwood and Tulipwood Secretaire Abattant, M.Ohneberg
By Martin Ohneberg
Located in Sheffield, MA
A Louis XVI Ormolu-Mounted
Kingwood & Tulipwood Secretaire a Abattant
By Martin Ohneberg
18th
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Desks
19th Century Napoleon III Secretaire á Abattant Designed as a Semainier
By Napoléon III
Located in Hoogeveen, NL
Napoleon III Secretaire á Abattant designed as a Semainier (7 drawer cabinet: 1 drawer for each day
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Commodes and Chests of Dra...
Materials
Bronze
Signed, Stamped JME Louis XV Tulipwood and Amaranth Secretaire a Abattant
By B. Butte
Located in Nashville, TN
A Louis XV ormolu-mounted tulipwood and amaranth secretaire a abattant (in transition to Louis XVI
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Bronze
18th Century Fall top Desk (Secretaire a Abattant) Paris 1780, with Signature
Located in Belmont, MA
Exquisite secretaire a abattant (fall top desk), Paris 1780, kingwood and rosewood veneer on the
Category
Antique 1770s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Kingwood, Mahogany, Rosewood
William IV Antique Rosewood Writing Desk Secrétaire á Abattant, English
Located in Shippensburg, PA
of material throughout, circa 1835. A distinctly English interpretation of the generally French
Category
Antique 19th Century English William IV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Louis XVI Secretaire a Abattant, Attributed to F.N. Geny, Lyon, circa 1780
By François-Noël Geny
Located in Berlin, DE
A 18th century Louis XVI drop-front secretaire (secrétaire à abattant), attributed to the
Category
Antique 1780s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
French Secretaire in Cherry, c. 1825
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
37.5" wide x 16" deep x 60.5" high
Charles X Secretary
a Abattant in cherry
France, c. 1825
Category
Antique 19th Century French Charles X Secretaires
French Provincial Secretaire
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
French Provincial secretaire a abattant, circa 1800. Very unusual walnut grain. Original leather.
Category
Antique 19th Century Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
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French Abattant For Sale on 1stDibs
Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the French abattant you’re looking for at 1stDibs. A French abattant — often made from wood, metal and mahogany — can elevate any home. Your living room may not be complete without a French abattant — find older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 20th Century. A French abattant, designed in the Louis XVI, Empire or Louis XV style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. A well-made French abattant has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by A. Leclaire, B. Butte and Christian Dell are consistently popular.
How Much is a French Abattant?
Prices for a French abattant can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $850 and can go as high as $398,500, while the average can fetch as much as $5,250.
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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