Japanese Secretary
Early 18th Century Queen Anne Japanned Secretary Bookcase
Located in Essex, MA
Early 18th Century Queen Anne Japanned Secretary Bookcase, possibly Continental. Cartouche double
Category
Antique Early 18th Century English Queen Anne Secretaires
Materials
Hardwood
Queen Anne Japanned Secretary Bookcase
Located in Essex, MA
With double arched top over a pair of arched mirror doors opening to a red interior fitted with drawers and shelves, the base with slant lid desk opening to expose a fitted interior ...
Category
Antique 1720s English Queen Anne Secretaires
Materials
Oak
English Scarlet Gilt and Polychrome Japanned Secretary
Located in Stamford, CT
A marvelous 18th century scarlet gilt and poly chrome secretary later Japanned. This English
Category
Antique 18th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Wood
English Chinoiserie Georgian Style Japanned Scarlet Vermillion Cabinet Secretary
Located in New York, NY
Vintage bureau cabinet secretary in the English chinoiserie style with elements of Queen Anne and
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Queen Anne Cabinets
Materials
Wood
$4,500
H 84 in W 38 in D 20 in
Japanese Style Cabinet-Secretary Attributed to G. Viardot, France, Circa 1880
By Gabriel Viardot
Located in PARIS, FR
A Japanese style carved wood cabinet attributed to G. Viardot. A painted decor imitating Japanese
Category
Antique 1880s French Japonisme Cabinets
Materials
Wood, Paint
$5,024
H 65.75 in W 25.6 in D 12.6 in
Japanese Style Cabinet-Secretary Att. to Perret
Vibert, France, circa 1880
By Perret et Vibert
Located in PARIS, FR
A Japanese style carved wood cabinet, with a painted decor imitating Japanese lacquer, ornamented
Category
Antique 1880s French Japonisme Secretaires
Materials
Wood
$5,024
H 65.75 in W 25.6 in D 12.6 in
Large Red Jappaned Bureau Cabinet
Located in Dubai, AE
Fine Queen Anne style red Japanned Chinoiserie secretary cabinet. The triple domed top with eight
Category
Antique 18th Century European Cabinets
Materials
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Recent Sales
Large Japanese Secretary
Located in Stamford, CT
Asian hardwood desk in English form painted with scenes from woodblock prints.
Category
Antique 19th Century Japanese Secretaires
George III Scarlet Japanned Secretary
Located in Essex, MA
With shaped cornice over a pair of doors with green distressed painted interior enclosing shelves , the base a slant lid desk with green painted fitted interior and hidden well over ...
Category
Antique 1770s English George III Secretaires
Materials
Wood
George III Scarlet Japanned Secretary Cabinet
Located in Essex, MA
The case 18th century with later scarlet Japanned decoration. With shaped arched pediment over a
Category
Antique 1750s English George III Secretaires
Materials
Leather, Oak
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
Venetian Rococo Green Japanned Secretary Desk
Located in Essex, MA
With shaped arched cornice over a pair of doors enclosing a red painted interior with shelves over a fold down slant lid writing surface fitted with drawers, over seven drawers with ...
Category
Antique 1760s Italian Rococo Secretaires
Materials
Wood
18th Century Northern Italian Japanned Secretary Bookcase, 18th Century
Located in Bridgeport, CT
In red paint with overall gilt decoration in relief on three sides. With a tall broken crest with small inset mirror, over double doors with mirrors in two parts opening to shelves, ...
Category
Antique 18th Century Italian Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Fine George 111 Period Japanned Black Lacquered Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine period George 111 Japanned and lacquered drop front secretary. Highly decorated red
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English George III Secretaires
Materials
Wood
English Bamboo Secretary with Japan-Lacquered Accents
Located in Austin, TX
An English Bamboo secretary featuring japan-lacquered panels on the front, sides, and shelves with
Category
Antique 19th Century English Secretaires
Georgian Style, Chinoiserie, Beige Secretary Desk, Bureau Cabinet, Japanned
Located in Manhasset, NY
Japanned, Georgian Style Chinoiserie, Beige Secretary Desk, Bureau Cabinet
This is a highly
Category
1990s Chinoiserie Desks
Materials
Wood
H 92.5 in W 40 in D 21.25 in
Georgian Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Montreal, QC
An 18th century English Chinoiserie Bureau Bookcase, profusely lacquered with exotic birds in a flowering landscape, pavilions and “oriental” figures on a black ground. The upper sec...
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Oak, Pine
Very Fine George 11 Style 19th C Grand Tortoise and Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
A magnificent 19th century large George11 faux tortoise and Chinoiserie decorated secretary. Hand
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century English George II Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Georgian Japanned Secretary
Located in Essex, MA
With broken arch pediment over a pair of mirror doors enclosing shelves, the base with fold down writing lid enclosing a fitted interior over four graduated drawers raised on bracket...
Category
Antique 1770s English Georgian Secretaires
Queen Anne Japanned Secretary
Located in Essex, MA
Likely Dutch. With arched cornice over a pair of arched doors opening to shelves and drawers, the base with hinged slant lid writing surface opening to a fitted compartment with draw...
Category
Antique 1720s Dutch Queen Anne Bookcases
Materials
Oak, Paint
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
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
H 94 in W 37.75 in D 20 in
Queen Anne Style Red Japanned Chinoiserie Secretary Cabinet
Located in Cypress, CA
Fine Queen Anne style red Japanned chinoiserie secretary cabinet. The double domed top with three
Category
20th Century English Queen Anne 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
H 87 in W 42 in D 24 in
A Spectacular English Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Lyndhurst, NJ
This impressive and grand Chinoiserie Secretary having an intricate detailed decoration both on
Category
Antique Late 19th Century British Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Giltwood, Lacquer, Paint
19th C. Bamboo Chinoiserie Secretary or Cabinet
Located in Atlanta, GA
Elegant 19th Century Bamboo Chinoiserie Secretary or Cabinet, England, circa late 19th century
Category
Antique 19th Century British Chinoiserie Secretaires
Materials
Leather, Bamboo, Glass, Wood
English Black and Gilt Japanned Drop Front Secretary
Located in Larkspur, CA
Mid 20th Century English Black and Gilt Japanned Drop Front Secretary. The Double Doors with Arched
Category
20th Century Secretaires
Francis Elkins English Japanned Secretary
Located in Lake Forest, IL
A late 18th Century Lacquered Slant Front Bevelled Mirrored Secretary with later refreshed Japanned
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Secretaires
Materials
Oak, Paint
Magnificent Drexel Chinoiserie Japanned Secretary Desk Cabinet
Located in Southfield, MI
Signed and dated 1969, this Drexel chinoiserie tall case secretary desk/cabinet was just removed
Category
Vintage 1960s American Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Japanned Red Secretary
Located in Stamford, CT
Japanned red secretary (two parts)
Category
Antique 19th Century Japanese Secretaires
Japanned Federal Slant-front Secretary
Located in Woodbury, CT
A Rhode Island tiger maple slant-front secretary, dated on its bottom board; with
Japanning
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Secretaires
Materials
Chestnut, Lacquer, Gesso
19th Century Japanese Lacquer Secretary Desk Richly Decorated
Located in Paris, FR
19th century Japanese lacquer secretary desk richly decorated
Small size secretary desk with black
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Anglo-Japanese Lacquer
Materials
Wood
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
Red laquered fallfront secretary with chinoiserie decoration
Located in Stamford, CT
Fallfront secretary with red japaning
Category
Early 20th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Anglo-Japanese Secretary
Located in Cookeville, TN
Intricate hand-carved flowers made of ivory grace this lovely ornate secretary from the early 20th
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Art Nouveau Secretaires
Materials
Ivory, Wood
18th Century English Chinoiserie Secretary Bookcase, George III
Located in Charleston, SC
Mid-18th century Georgian secretary bookcase with green lacquered Japanning. This chinoiserie
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century English George III Secretaires
Materials
Pine
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Located in Los Angeles, CA
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Materials
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$32,623
H 44.3 in W 61.62 in D 16.34 in
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Located in London, GB
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$5,384 Sale Price
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H 74.81 in W 30.32 in D 19.3 in
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H 26 in W 96 in D 12 in
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Japanese Secretary For Sale on 1stDibs
Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the Japanese secretary you’re looking for at 1stDibs. Each Japanese secretary for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, bone and ivory. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect Japanese secretary — we have versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century are available. Each Japanese secretary bearing Georgian, Art Nouveau or Rococo hallmarks is very popular. A well-made Japanese secretary has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Baker Furniture Company are consistently popular.
How Much is a Japanese Secretary?
Prices for a Japanese secretary can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $1,495 and can go as high as $39,500, while the average can fetch as much as $12,225.
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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