What was the term in French furniture for a writing desk that often featured a drop-down writing surface?

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.

French Antique Writing Desk

19th Century Mahogany Writing Table

Writing Desks With Brass Legs

Black French Desk Leather Top

19th Century Walnut Writing Desks

French Ormolu Mounted Desks

Leather Top Writing Desk Table

Writing Bureau

Louis Xv Desk Cabriole Legs

Category

Late 19th Century French French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

19th-century French writing desk

$3,902

Antique French Writing Desk Secretary Louis XV Carved Oak Renaissance c1890

Located in Shreveport, LA

Antique French Writing Desk Secretary Black Forest Carved Oak Renaissance c1890. Direct from

Category

1890s French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Oak

Antique French Writing Desk Secretary Louis XV Carved Oak Renaissance c1890

$6,150

Antique French Writing Desk, 1800s Solid Oak with Cabriole Legs Elegant Patina

Located in Firenze, IT

Elegant 1800s French provincial writing desk in solid oak with cabriole legs and rich patina, a

Category

19th Century French French Provincial French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Iron

Antique French Writing Desk, 1800s Solid Oak with Cabriole Legs Elegant Patina

$5,004

Large Empire French Writing Desk with Embossed Brown Leather Top Column Legs

Located in Atlanta, GA

Large Empire French writing desk or bureau plat with embossed brown leather top, bronze dore mounts

Category

19th Century French Empire French Antique Writing Desk

Large Empire French Writing Desk with Embossed Brown Leather Top Column Legs

$8,250

19th Century French Writing Desk Secretary

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Very fine late 19th century French writing desk secretary with dore bronze mountings and Marble

Category

19th Century French French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Marble, Bronze

19th Century French Writing Desk Secretary

$18,500

Antique French Writing Desk Table Renaissance Revival Dolphin Style Carved Oak

Located in Tyler, TX

Beautiful versatile size antique French oak renaissance revival writing desk or table with drawer

Category

1890s French Renaissance Revival French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Oak

Antique French Writing Desk Table Renaissance Revival Dolphin Style Carved Oak

$2,800

C19th French Ormolu Mounted Louis XV1 Style Writing Desk

By Paul Somani

Located in London, GB

Louis XV1 Style French Writing Desk In the Manner of Francois Linke Finished on Both sides so could

Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XVI French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Kingwood

C19th French Ormolu Mounted Louis XV1 Style Writing Desk

$13,009

French 19th Century Walnut Two Sided Louis XV Writing Desk

Located in Hopewell, NJ

Classic provincial French writing desk from the 19th century that could also serve as a beautiful

Category

19th Century French French Provincial French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

French 19th Century Walnut Two Sided Louis XV Writing Desk

$3,800

Antique French Napoleon Brass Ormolu Mounted 3 Drawer Writing Desk

Located in Chicago, IL

Antique French Napoleon Brass Ormolu Mounted 3 Drawer Writing Desk Antique French Napoleon III

Category

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Ormolu

Antique French Napoleon Brass Ormolu Mounted 3 Drawer Writing Desk

$6,995

19th Century Writing Desk with Frieze Drawer and Baluster Turned Legs

Located in LA CIOTAT, FR

An absolutely charming 19th century French writing desk, crafted from walnut and featuring

Category

19th Century French French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Writing Desk with Frieze Drawer and Baluster Turned Legs

$2,780

French 19th Century Leather Top Louis XV Style Writing Desk or Bureau Plat

Located in Hopewell, NJ

French writing desk beautifully finished in walnut, leather and inlaid burlwood veneer, is a

Category

19th Century French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

French 19th Century Leather Top Louis XV Style Writing Desk or Bureau Plat

$3,200

Louis XVI Tulipwood Leather Top Bureau Plat Desk

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Impressive late 18th century French writing desk with a tooled black leather top, probably original

Category

18th Century French Louis XVI French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Tulipwood

Louis XVI Tulipwood Leather Top Bureau Plat Desk

$11,900

Antique French Neo Classic Art Deco Writing Desk

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Impressive French writing desk having a dramatic mixed wood top crafted with a burled walnut center

Category

Early 20th Century French Neoclassical French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

Antique French Neo Classic Art Deco Writing Desk

$7,500

French Empire Desk work table, wood , ormolu , Bureau Plat

By Empire Furniture

Located in Valladolid, ES

One of a kind and Amazing Large Empire French writing desk or bureau plat with embossed black

Category

1810s French Empire French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Ormolu

French Empire Desk work table, wood , ormolu , Bureau Plat

$6,587 Sale Price

20% Off

French Empire Style Writing Desk

Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

Large French burr elm empire style writing desk. 1900. Kneehole is 23.5" wide x 27" high

Category

Early 20th Century French French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Elm

French Empire Style Writing Desk

$4,505

French Charles X Writing Desk

Located in New Orleans, LA

The epitome of French elegance and style, this French Charles X-style writing desk takes the

Category

19th Century French Charles X French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

French Charles X Writing Desk

$44,500

French Satinwood Writing Table / Desk

Located in Huntington, NY

French Satinwood Writing Table / Desk Magnificent French handmade desk of outstanding quality and

Category

19th Century French Louis Philippe French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Silver, Brass

French Satinwood Writing Table / Desk

$4,130

French Empire Mahogany Writing Desk

Located in LOS ANGELES, CA

Mahogany construction with rectangular leather writing surface with gilt brass medallion pulls

Category

Late 19th Century French Empire French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

French Empire Mahogany Writing Desk

$15,000

French 19th Century Mahogany Writing Desk

Located in Baton Rouge, LA

A petite mahogany and leather-top writing desk from France, circa 1840, ready to inspire you daily

Category

19th Century French French Provincial French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

French 19th Century Mahogany Writing Desk

$2,650

French Petite Inlaid Mahogany Writing Desk

Located in Baton Rouge, LA

A lovely, petite desk from 19th Century France made of luxurious mahogany and a leather writing

Category

19th Century French Directoire French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

French Petite Inlaid Mahogany Writing Desk

$1,800

Writing Desk

Located in London, England

French two drawer bureau plat with brass moulds and parquetry inlaid top. Circa 1900. H 75cm (AH

Category

Early 1900s French Edwardian French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

Writing Desk

$5,272

Imposing French 19th Century Mahogany Writing Desk

Located in Rome, IT

A fine French 19th century Louis XV style , gilt bronze-mounted Mahogany bureau plat. The shaped

Category

19th Century French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Wood

Imposing French 19th Century Mahogany Writing Desk

$9,532

French 19th Century Mahogany Travel Writing Desk

Located in London, GB

French 19th century mahogany travel writing desk French, 19th century Measures: Height 94cm

Category

19th Century French Neoclassical French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Ormolu

French 19th Century Mahogany Travel Writing Desk

$7,531

Antique Mahogany Ladies Writing Desk Table France

Located in Munich, DE

This charming small ladies writing desk – so called 'Écritoire de Dames' was made in France circa

Category

1890s French Belle Époque French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany

Antique Mahogany Ladies Writing Desk Table France

$5,838

Boulle Writing Desk

Located in New York, NY

Well-proportioned French black lacquer and Boulle writing desk with metal gallery raised back

Category

19th Century French French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Tortoise Shell

Boulle Writing Desk

$9,750

French Louis XV Style Ladies Writing Desk

Located in Pembroke, MA

An elegant French Louis XV style petit writing desk with gilt-bronze mounts, including escutcheon

Category

Early 20th Century French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

French Louis XV Style Ladies Writing Desk

$5,750

Antique Country French Walnut Desk ~ Writing Table

Located in Dallas, TX

Antique Country French Walnut Desk ~ Writing Table is a classic piece with understated elegance

Category

Early 20th Century French Country French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

Antique Country French Walnut Desk ~ Writing Table

$3,480

19th Century French Renaissance Writing Table, Desk

Located in Dallas, TX

19th Century French Renaissance writing table ~ desk is an ode to a bygone era before the digital

Category

Mid-19th Century French Renaissance Revival French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Oak

19th Century French Renaissance Writing Table, Desk

$4,980

19th Century French Provincial Fruitwood Writing Table Desk

Located in Rio Vista, CA

Diminutive size 19th century French provincial writing table or desk. The table is constructed from

Category

19th Century French French Provincial French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Fruitwood

19th Century French Provincial Fruitwood Writing Table Desk

$1,875 Sale Price

25% Off

Diminutive Country French Provincial Fruitwood Writing Table Desk

Located in Rio Vista, CA

Late 19th century country French provincial style diminutive writing table or desk crafted from

Category

19th Century French French Provincial French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

Diminutive Country French Provincial Fruitwood Writing Table Desk

$3,500

French Marquetry Inlaid 19th Century Writing Table Desk

Located in Shippensburg, PA

WRITING STAND IN ROGNON (KIDNEY) FORM French, late 19th century 34 7/8” W x 18 1/2” D (at feet) x

Category

19th Century French Louis XVI French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

French Marquetry Inlaid 19th Century Writing Table Desk

$1,950

Antique French Neoclassic Two Drawer Inlaid Writing Desk

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Handsome 19th century French Restoration period writing desk handcrafted in exotic woods including

Category

Early 19th Century French Neoclassical French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany, Walnut

Antique French Neoclassic Two Drawer Inlaid Writing Desk

$6,850

19th Century French Kingwood Writing Desk Bureau Plat

Located in Essex, MA

19th century French kingwood Bureau plat writing desk. Beautiful Louis XV Form. Lacquered Bronze

Category

19th Century French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

19th Century French Kingwood Writing Desk Bureau Plat

$12,500

19th Century French Bonheur Du Jour Writing Desk

Located in Vancouver, British Columbia

A pretty French Louis XV style writing desk or ‘bonheur du jour’, the serpentine case veneered in

Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Kingwood

19th Century French Bonheur Du Jour Writing Desk

$5,850

Stunning French Empire Style Walnut Writing Desk

Located in Crawley, GB

We delight to offer sell this stunning large French Empire style walnut desk having a gilt tooled

Category

Early 20th Century British Empire French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass, Ormolu

Stunning French Empire Style Walnut Writing Desk

$6,846

Antique French Oak Writing Desk Late 19th Century

Located in Toledo, OH

A late 19th century French two part writing desk. Oak construction with extensive hand carved

Category

Late 19th Century French French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Oak

Antique French Oak Writing Desk Late 19th Century

$4,200

Antique French Louis XVI Writing Desk Cognac Leather

Located in Senonches, Centre-Val de Loire

Antique Louis XVI style desk with cognac leather top and gold embossed frieze. The front of the

Category

1910s French Louis XVI French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Leather, Wood

Antique French Louis XVI Writing Desk Cognac Leather

$5,934

19th Century French Renaissance Writing Table ~ Desk with Dolphins

Located in Dallas, TX

19th Century French Renaissance Writing Table ~ Desk with Dolphins is an extraordinary example of

Category

1870s French Renaissance Revival French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Oak

19th Century French Renaissance Writing Table ~ Desk with Dolphins

$3,980

Diminutive French Louis XIV Style Walnut Writing Table Desk

Located in Rio Vista, CA

Charming 19th century French writing table or desk made in a diminutive scale or ladies bureau plat

Category

19th Century French Louis XIV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

Diminutive French Louis XIV Style Walnut Writing Table Desk

$3,500

Antique French Inlaid Walnut Ormolu Mounted Desk / Writing Table

Located in London, GB

An absolutely stunning and early antique French inlaid walnut ormolu mounted desk / writing table

Category

Early 1800s French Louis XIV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Ormolu

Antique French Inlaid Walnut Ormolu Mounted Desk / Writing Table

$3,423

Antique French Louis XVI Style Leather Top Writing Desk

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Refined antique French Louis XVI style writing desk crafted in exotic tulipwood veneer with

Category

Early 20th Century French Louis XVI French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

Antique French Louis XVI Style Leather Top Writing Desk

$7,500

20th Century Wood French Louis XV Style Writing Desk, 1920

Located in Miami, FL

20th century Louis XV style French walnut writing desk with three drawers and cabriolet legs

Category

Early 20th Century French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

20th Century Wood French Louis XV Style Writing Desk, 1920

$3,420

18th Century, French Louis XV Wood Flap Writing Desk

Located in IT

18th Century, Franch Louis XV Wood Flap Writing Desk Measures: cm H 94 x W 83,5 x D 46; D with the

Category

Mid-18th Century French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

18th Century, French Louis XV Wood Flap Writing Desk

$30,981

French Gilt Bronze and Marquetry Writing Desk After Cressent

By Charles Cressent

Located in London, GB

French gilt bronze and marquetry writing desk after Cressent. French, late 19th century Measures

Category

Late 19th Century French Régence French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Ormolu

French Gilt Bronze and Marquetry Writing Desk After Cressent

$24,649

Louis XVI Ebonized Writing Desk

Located in Austin, TX

French Louis XVI style desk made of solid wood construction, primarily mahogany. It has been

Category

1920s French Louis XVI French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

Louis XVI Ebonized Writing Desk

$7,450

Classic French 18th Century Empire Walnut Kneehole Writing Desk

Located in Hopewell, NJ

Found near Paris, France, we purchased this museum quality 18th century Empire style desk for its

Category

18th Century French Empire French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Walnut

Classic French 18th Century Empire Walnut Kneehole Writing Desk

$3,800

French 19th Century Bonheur Du Jour Mahogany Lady Writing Desk

Located in Rome, IT

Elegant French 19th century , gilt bronze-mounted Mahogany Bonheur Du Jour , lady writing desk

Category

19th Century French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

French 19th Century Bonheur Du Jour Mahogany Lady Writing Desk

$19,065

French 18th Century Louis XV Bureau Plat, Writing Desk

Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE

. The iconic Coco chancel lived with a Rococo writing desk just like this one and indeed this Bureau

Category

Mid-18th Century French Rococo French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

French 18th Century Louis XV Bureau Plat, Writing Desk

$106,051

19th Century French Renaissance Sculptural Leather Top Writing Table ~ Desk

Located in Dallas, TX

19th Century French Renaissance Sculptural Leather Top Writing Table ~ Desk is a spectacular

Category

1850s French Renaissance Revival French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Sheepskin, Oak, Paint

19th Century French Renaissance Sculptural Leather Top Writing Table ~ Desk

$14,900

French Louis XV Style Mahogany and Tulipwood Writing Table Desk

Located in San Francisco, CA

An elegant Louis XV style French mahogany and tulipwood writing table desk with brass mounts

Category

Early 20th Century French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Brass

French Louis XV Style Mahogany and Tulipwood Writing Table Desk

$5,600

French 1890s Inlaid Louis XV Bronze Mounted French-Polished Writing Table Desk

Located in Swedesboro, NJ

This French 1890s inlaid Louis XV writing table desk is a superb example of finely crafted

Category

1890s French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Bronze

French 1890s Inlaid Louis XV Bronze Mounted French-Polished Writing Table Desk

$7,995

High Adjustable Architect s Desk, Writing Desk, circa 1800

Located in Greven, DE

Antique height-adjustable desk, architect's table, around 1800 France Mahogany circa 1800

Category

Early 1800s French Louis XVI French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Mahogany

High Adjustable Architect s Desk, Writing Desk, circa 1800

$7,983

Important French Brass Inlaid Paint Decorated Rolltop Ladies Writing Desk

Located in Swedesboro, NJ

This important French brass inlaid paint decorated rolltop ladies writing desk is a rare and

Category

1890s French Louis XVI French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Marble, Brass

Important French Brass Inlaid Paint Decorated Rolltop Ladies Writing Desk

$3,720 Sale Price

60% Off

French Empire style leather top mahogany writing desk, C 1890

Located in Philadelphia, PA

French Empire style leather top mahogany writing desk having bronze mounts, claw feet and resting

Category

Late 19th Century French Empire French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Marble, Bronze

French Empire style leather top mahogany writing desk, C 1890

$4,250

19th Century French Louis XV Style Ormolu Mounted Writing Desk

Located in London, GB

19th century French Louis XV style ormolu mounted writing desk French, Late 19th Century Height

Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XV French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Ormolu

19th Century French Louis XV Style Ormolu Mounted Writing Desk

$20,540

Antique French Louis XVI Writing Desk Cognac Leather, Bonze Brass

Located in Senonches, Centre-Val de Loire

Antique Louis XVI style desk with cognac leather top. The front of the piece has three dovetail

Category

1910s French Louis XVI French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Leather, Wood

Antique French Louis XVI Writing Desk Cognac Leather, Bonze Brass

$4,146

Antique French Louis XVI Writing Desk Cognac Leather, Bonze Brass

Located in Senonches, Centre-Val de Loire

Antique Louis XVI style desk with cognac leather top. The front of the piece has three dovetail

Category

1910s French Louis XVI French Antique Writing Desk

Materials

Leather, Wood

Antique French Louis XVI Writing Desk Cognac Leather, Bonze Brass

$5,934

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French Antique Writing Desk For Sale on 1stDibs

Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the French antique writing desk you’re looking for at 1stDibs. Each French antique writing desk for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, metal and animal skin. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer French antique writing desk, there are earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century. When you’re browsing for the right French antique writing desk, those designed in Louis XVI, Louis XV and Empire styles are of considerable interest. François Linke, Paul Sormani and Louis Majorelle each produced at least one beautiful French antique writing desk that is worth considering.

How Much is a French Antique Writing Desk?

A French antique writing desk can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $4,800, while the lowest priced sells for $200 and the highest can go for as much as $1,740,240.

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 French Antique Writing Desk

What was the term in French furniture for a writing desk that often featured a drop-down writing surface?
1 Answer
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.

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