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Secretaires For Sale
Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Carved Walnut Secretary Cabinet
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant, antique fruitwood "Secretaire a Abattant" was crafted in France, circa 1840; the tall secretary with classical straight lines features a shaped top over a frieze drawer. The fall front opens and reveals a fully outfitted inside theater decorated with turned columns on the sides, six functioning drawers, and a wide open niche for books and letters...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Secretaires

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Georgian Mahogany Slant Front Secretary Desk Adam Style Slant-Front Bureau
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a Georgian mahogany slant front secretary desk Adam style slant-front bureau. Dimensions: Cabinet 37.88" H x 35.25" W x 18.88" D. Desk 33.63" W x 22.63" D ...
Category

Late 19th Century British Georgian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

19th Century Swedish Blue Oak Secretary Bureau
Located in Round Top, TX
This oak secretary is a striking statement piece with panel doors, dramatic bonnet, and traditional lower three large drawers. The entire secretary has been given a professional cust...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

European 1800s Two-Part Painted Wood Secretary with Slanted Front Desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
A tall European painted wood two-part secretary from the early 19th century, with molded cornice, dentil molding, slanted front desk and graduated drawers. Created in Europe during t...
Category

Early 19th Century European Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Opulent Secretary in Napoleon III - Makart Style, Vienna, circa 1880
Located in Greven, DE
Opulent Secretary Desk in the Makart Style with Brass and Mother-of-Pearl Inlays Vienna Ebonized wood, brass, mother-of-pearl c. 1880 Dimensions: H × W × D: 138 × 77 × 51 cm Descr...
Category

Late 19th Century Austrian Napoleon III Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

18th Century Baroque Bureau In Walnut With Inlays
Located in Kastrup, DK
A very beautiful Baroque bureau. Thick walnut veneer with inlays. Hidden "secret" locking system for the drawers in the upper section. Grate quality Ni...
Category

18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass, Iron

Secrétaire scandinavo in olmo e radica, anni ’50
Located in Brescia, IT
Secrétaire scandinavo anni ’50 in olmo con ribalta. Interno con coppia di cassetti e mensola sagomata in radica. Elegante e raffinato. Secrétaire scandinavo in olmo degli anni ’50 c...
Category

1950s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Wood, Elm

Secretair in Teak of Danish Design from the 1960s
Located in Lejre, DK
This teak secretaire from the 1960s epitomizes the timeless elegance of Scandinavian design. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, it combines functionality with aesthetic ap...
Category

1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Teak

Extraordinary Italian Parquetry Bureau Cabinet Trumeaux Rome, 1740
Located in Rome, IT
Outstanding Italian 18' century walnut, parquetry bureau cabinet fruitwood inlaid with scrolling foliage, The upper section with a shaped carved cresting centered by a cartouche-sha...
Category

Early 18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood, Walnut

Antique Neoclassical Renaissance Revival Flame Mahogany Drop Front Secretary
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Neoclassical Renaissance Revival Flame Mahogany Drop Front Secretary Desk With Carved Pulls C1850 Measures - 82 1/4" x 49 3/4" x 21 3/4" An antique Neoclassical Renaissance...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

French Empire Mahogany Bureau à Cylindre Writing Table, circa 1810
Located in Rome, IT
A French gilt-metal mounted mahogany bureau à cylindre writing desk. With a grey marble top over three drawers, the fall enclosing a sliding tan leather writing surface, an interior...
Category

19th Century French Empire Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

Louis XVI Ormolu-Mounted Mahogany Secretaire Stamped Sotto
Located in Kittery Point, ME
With a canted white marble rectangular top with a three-quarter pierced gallery above a frieze drawer, the fall-front with gilt-tooled black leather writing surface enclosing a fitte...
Category

Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

Biedermeier Secretary Desk, Germany, 19th Century
Located in Wrocław, Poland
This beautiful Secretary comes from Germany and was made around 1820–1840. The piece is made of pine wood, veneered with mahogany veneer. Upper Section – the so-called Tabernacle ...
Category

19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

Antique Danish Chest of Drawers in Oak, Made in Late 18th Century, Louis 16
Located in Odense, DK
Romantic antique chest of drawers, made by a Danish cabinetmaker in 1790-1810.. Louis XVI. This chest features great curves and carving skills and undoubtful high quality. Made in so...
Category

Late 18th Century Danish Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Oak

Federal Mahogany and Birch Inlaid Secretary/Desk sq
Located in Water Mill, NY
Federal Mahogany and Birch inlaid secretary/desk with contrasting veneers and bone pulls.
Category

1790s American Federal Antique Secretaires

Materials

Birch, Mahogany

Rare Antique Federal American Mahogany Secretary Writing Desk Gothic Bookcase
Located in Dayton, OH
A fine and impressive Federal Period Mahogany secretary and bookcase, circa 1830s. The bookcase features an eighteen pane gothic arched cabinet fro...
Category

Early 19th Century American Federal Antique Secretaires

Materials

Glass, Mahogany

Louis XVI Rolltop Desk, France 1780, Mahogany
Located in Belmont, MA
Louis XVI Rolltop or cylinder desk, France, 1780. This original Louis XVI cylinder desk has an elegant mahogany veneer with satinwood inlays. I...
Category

1780s French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany, Satinwood

Louis XVI Style Secretary by H. Dasson, France, Circa 1880
Located in PARIS, FR
A very fine Louis XVI style upright secretary, executed in veneered wood, finely decorated with painted medallions representing mythological scenes. Fine chiseled and gilded bronze m...
Category

1880s French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Swedish Two-part Secretaire Circa 1810
Located in Atlanta, GA
This stunning 19th-century Swedish two-part secretaire, crafted circa 1810, exemplifies the timeless elegance of Gustavian design. Featuring a beautifully aged painted finish in soft...
Category

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

Barbarella Writing Desk / Secretary by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1966/1985
Located in Kansas City, MO
Ettore Sottsass Barbarella cabinet for Poltronova, Italy. Designed in 1966, produced in 1985. The cabinet features three drawers over a drop-front ...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Brass

18th Century Black Swedish Gustavian One Part Pine Bureau - Antique Secretary
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A black, antique Swedish Gustavian one part bureau, secretaire made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, in good condition. The Scandinavian writing table, desk is composed with a writi...
Category

Mid-18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Metal, Bronze

1960’s Italian Inlaid Secretaire
Located in Bradenton, FL
An Italian inlaid Venetian-style secretaire, circa 1960. Decorated throughout with walnut veneers, the drop front desk and two serpentine drawers are inlaid with satinwood marquetry ...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

18th Century Louis XV Baroque Walnut Fall Front Desk / Secretaire
Located in Darmstadt, DE
This elegant fall-front desk dates to around 1730 and is veneered with a beautiful marquetry of walnut and walnut root on a pinewood corpus. The piece displays a fine interplay of wa...
Category

Early 18th Century French Louis XV Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine, Walnut

French Deco Ladies Secretary, Chest in Wood Circa 1930
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Secretary, chest with a drop front and two lower doors that open to reveal a polished mahogany interior. Images five, six, and seven show the piece's interior drawers and shelves.
Category

1930s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Model 63 Drop Front Teak Secretary Desk by Kai Kristiansen
Located in Berkeley, CA
Origin: Denmark Designer: Kai Kristiansen Manufacturer: HNJ Møbel / Tørring Møbelfabrik Era: 1960s Materials: Teak Measurements: 35" wide x 17" deep x 42.5" tall Condition: I...
Category

20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Secretaires

Materials

Teak

19th Century Victorian Bamboo Chinoiserie Lacquered Secretaire Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Victorian secretaire desk, in the Brighton Pavilion style. Having a frame of burnt bamboo, inset with lacquered panels hand-painted with birds and floral motifs. Its top panel hinged...
Category

1880s British Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Teak writing desk, Danish design, 1960s.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Teak writing desk, Danish design, Very good condition, after professional renovation. Wood: Teak Dimensions: Height 95 cm, width 89 cm, depth 42 cm.
Category

1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Teak

18th Century Mahogany Secretary Bureau
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Superb Georgian period secretary bureau from the late 18th century in mahogany. superb quality desk with a surprising interior. It features a magnif...
Category

18th Century British Georgian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

Louis XV Secretary Desk, France 18th century
Located in Belmont, MA
Exquisite 18th-Century Louis XV Secretary Desk This stunning Louis XV Secretary Desk, dating back to 1770, showcases the elegance of 18th-century Fr...
Category

1760s French Louis XV Antique Secretaires

Materials

Kingwood, Rosewood

Widdicomb Solid Cherry Butlers Drop Front Leather Top Desk Breakfront MINT
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Widdicomb Solid Cherry Butlers Drop Front Leather Top Desk Breakfront MINT
Category

20th Century American French Provincial Secretaires

Materials

Brass

18th Century Black Swedish Gustavian Oak Bureau - Antique Drop Front Secretaire
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique Swedish Gustavian bureau made of hand crafted painted Oakwood, in good condition. The Scandinavian writing table, desk features man...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Metal, Brass

Fine Inlaid Georgian Secretary with Falconer Pediment, Probably by Gillows
Located in Richmond, VA
Very good inlaid Georgian secretary with a falconer pediment, probably by Gillows. The secretary features glazed doors surrounded by inlaid stop flu...
Category

18th Century English Georgian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Satin, Mahogany

Fine English George III Antique Mahogany Secretary Desk circa 1780
Located in Shippensburg, PA
Of exceedingly good quality, this fine George III secretaire features a molded cornice projecting over glazed doors, each composed of sixteen individual panes of glass divided by int...
Category

18th Century English George III Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Vintage Scandinavian Modern Teak Drop Front Desk Secretary in a Box, 1960-2000
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome MCM (a.k.a. Mid-Century Modern) vintage Scandinavian Modern drop front desk or secretary in a box. It is in wonderful vintage condition. There...
Category

Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Secretaires

Materials

Teak

Vintage Mid-Century Modern Mengel Drop Front Secretary Desk by Raymond Loewy
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome vintage Mid-Century Modern Mengel drop front secretary desk by Raymond Loewy. Comprised of an oak case, cerused oak drawer fronts, and blac...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Secretaires

Materials

Metal

Large Italian Bureau 18th Century Inlayed Walnut Chest of Drawers with Flap
Located in Milano, MI
An Italian monumental sized bureau with flap dating back to the second half of 18th century. Three deep drawers and a fall-front opening to reveal a fitted interior with six small dr...
Category

1770s Italian Directoire Antique Secretaires

Materials

Cherry, Maple, Walnut

Extraordinary Mahogany Sécrétaire À Abattant, Circa 1810
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Secrétaire à abattant with arched bonnet and a fall front elaborately decorated with brass and copper inlay along with a scarab form drop pull. The arched door drop down to reveal co...
Category

Early 19th Century Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass, Copper

French Art Déco Secretaire Black High Gloss Lacquer Nickel Plated Fittings 1925
Located in Salzburg, AT
French Art Deco secretary Sycomore wood, black high-gloss lacquer nickel-plated fittings. Elegant secretaire made of solid sycamore wood with a high-quality finish. The secretaire s...
Category

1920s Italian Art Deco Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Metal

Victorian Secretary Desk Circa. 1800 s
Located in Fulton, CA
American Victorian secretary desk made of solid walnut. Circa. 1875. Drop-front desk with birdseye maple detail. Carved walnut pulls with "rac...
Category

Mid-19th Century American Victorian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Birdseye Maple, Walnut

Italian style "bargueño". Tortoiseshell, wood, bronze. 18th century.
Located in Madrid, ES
Uncovered sample desk made of wood, with the central part advanced and highlighted with a double chapel of architectural composition. Each of the sides has five drawers with the front decorated with tortoiseshell and an elaborate golden bronze lock shield (two rampant lions faced, located on a garland and with a shield crowned between them, in which the hollow of the key). The center of the front has two levels: the lower one has four columns with éntasis, two on each side and joined by an entablature and a top finish in dark wood, and a series of gold metal elements in the center between which it stands out, sheltered under a semicircular arch, the figure of Hercules fighting against Caco; the upper one has some moldings forming some recesses, with an important heraldic shield in the center, all enhanced with volutes towards the sides, and different elements in gilded metal, of classicist inspiration. The general scheme of the furniture responds to a very widespread and valued model in 17th century Europe, of which the best examples have been, as a rule, those of Italian manufacture, and which is continued in the eighteenth century without breaking the compositional clarity of the one that shows in this frontal but yes changing slight decorative details and elements in the area of the central chapel, above all. The practice of using tortoiseshell plates...
Category

18th Century European Neoclassical Antique Secretaires

Materials

Bronze

Early 19th Century Secretary, Birch and Birch burl veneered
Located in Stahnsdorf, DE
Secretary Desk, circa 1820, Braunschweig An exceptional secretary desk from around 1820, crafted in Braunschweig. This elegant piece is made of birch and birch burl, veneered with f...
Category

1820s German Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Birch

Chest of Drawers / Secretary in Dutch Style Marquetry Holland Design
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Chest of drawers in Dutch style from the beginning of the century. Entirely inlaid with floral decoration, with brass handles and a lion paw shaped base. The upper part consists of...
Category

1910s Dutch Dutch Colonial Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Wood

18th Century Swedish Slant Front Desk, Circa 1780, in Soft Grey Paint
Located in Atlanta, GA
An elegant 18th-century Swedish slant front desk, circa 1780, featuring a classic Gustavian form and later painted surface. The exterior has been repainted in a soft grey tone, lendi...
Category

18th Century Swedish Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

New England birch secretary / slant front desk, 18th century
Located in Houston, TX
This is an exceptionally handsome piece of early American craftsmanship. This 18th-century slant-front desk, crafted from warm birchwood, showcases the robust elegance and functional...
Category

18th Century Antique Secretaires

Materials

Birch

18th Century French Louis XV Period Walnut Chateau Bonheur Du Jour or Secretary
Located in Birmingham, AL
A rare 18th century French Louis XV period chateau bonheur du jour or secrétaire handcrafted of walnut by very talented artisans in Lyon for a wealthy chateau owner near Villeurbanne, circa 1750s. This impressive antique French secretary features a chapeau de gendarme crown above a pair of carved serpentine doors with brass mesh grilles and beautiful green and gold damask fabric backings that open to reveal a painted interior with two display shelves. Three carved drawers are below. The lower section features a flat serpentine shaped writing surface that lifts opens to reveal plenty of storage above a carved, scalloped apron with C-scrolls and a center carved shell motif. Raised on four elegant cabriole legs ending in scrolled French toes. This grand Lyonnaise French library desk...
Category

1750s French Louis XV Antique Secretaires

Materials

Iron

Antique Mahogany Secretary Desk with Brass Shelf Railing and Carved Front
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Antique Mahogany Secretary Desk with Brass Gallery Shelf Rail and (4) drawers. It was made most likely before the 1880 or 1890s. A uniq...
Category

19th Century Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

Secretary Made In Teak, Danish Design From 1960s
Located in Lejre, DK
This secretary, designed and produced in Denmark around the 1960s, is a beautiful example of Danish furniture art from this era. Made of teak wood, the secretary exudes a warm and na...
Category

1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Teak

Late 19th Century Spanish Walnut Bureau Bookcase ‘Secretaire’
Located in Miami, FL
A late 19th century Spanish Walnut Bureau bookcase ‘secretaire’ with fretwork open swan neck pediment, centred by a shaped finial, above a pair of doors, slant front enclosed writing...
Category

Late 19th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Antique French Secretary Desk, France 1770-80
Located in Belmont, MA
Antique French Secretary Desk from the Late 18th Century Explore this French 18th century secretary desk, crafted in France circa 1770-80...
Category

1770s French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Kingwood, Satinwood

Impressive Antique Slant Top Secretary Bureau
Located in Bridgeport, CT
An antique carved and finished slant top desk with handsome even grained Mahogany, original brass batwing pulls, diamond accent key holes and the top opening to reveal myriad nooks, ...
Category

19th Century Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

C.F. Harsdorff Louis XVI Secrétaire in Mahogany Exceptional Quality
Located in Kastrup, DK
C.F. Harsdorff, 1735–1799 A small, elegant Louis XVI secrétaire designed by the renowned Danish architect C.F. Harsdorff. Crafted in exceptional cabinetmaker quality from richly gra...
Category

Late 18th Century Danish Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Scandinavian vintage oak secretaire by Nybro Möbelfabrik
Located in Brescia, IT
Scandinavian oak secretaire by Nybro Möbelfabrik, 1960s, with sliding shutter, interior drawers and lower doors with shelf. Vintage Scandinavian oak secretaire made by Nybro Möbelfa...
Category

1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Oak

Pair of Louis XVI Style Dutch Chinoiserie Secretary and High Chest
Located in Greven, DE
Pair of chinoiserie furniture - secretary and chiffonier The Netherlands Satinwood and others, lacquered panels around 1890 Dimensions: H x W x D: 130 x 63 x 39 cm Description: Ve...
Category

Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Secretaires

Materials

Satinwood

Bruno Mathsson reading stand, Karl Mathsson 40 s Sweden modernist collector
Located in Forest, BE
Table de lecture en bois et acier nickelé. Daté du début des années 1940. La tablette en bois a été restaurée mais la patine du piétement reste non touché et dans son état le plus proche de l'origine. Ajustable en hauteu. Il y à de beaux détails en laiton. Produite dans les ateliers de son père Karl Mathsson...
Category

1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Steel, Nickel

Scandinavian Modern Teak Secretary by Gunnar Falsig 1960s
Located in Asaa, DK
Scandinavian Modern teak secretaire by Gunnar Falsig 1960s. Mid-century Modern Danish secretaire with curved front. Very elegant and versatile, both a writing desk and a chest of dr...
Category

1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Teak

Exquisite Biedermeier Secretaire, Germany, c. 1825–1830
Located in Stahnsdorf, DE
Exquisite Biedermeier Secretaire, Germany, c. 1825–1830 This exceptional Biedermeier secretaire, crafted in Germany between 1825 and 1830, embodies the elegance and refinement of th...
Category

1820s German Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Secretary Cabinet by Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Lyndhurst, NJ
A Macassar ebony secretaire side cabinet with a rectangular stepped top above an open recess and a fall front enclosing a fitted interior, flan...
Category

Early 20th Century Secretaires

Materials

Macassar

19th Century Fine Biedermeier Walnut Secretaire. Vienna, c. 1825.
Located in Vienna, AT
Hello, This elegant and truly exceptional early Viennese Biedermeier Secretaire was made in Vienna circa 1825. Viennese Biedermeier is distinguished by their sophisticated proportio...
Category

Early 19th Century Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Writing Desk Secretary
Located in San Angelo, TX
This beautiful and unique 19th century Swedish Gustavian writing desk is perfect for any room or hallway. The colors are amazing with th...
Category

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood, Pine, Paint

Chippendale Style Mahogany Secretary Desk and Chair by Baker
Located in Pasadena, TX
Chippendale style mahogany secretary desk by Milling Street Baker 10 drawers with brass pulls. Desk has ample storage space, featuring 10 drawers. Mi...
Category

Late 20th Century North American Chippendale Secretaires

Materials

Burl

Antique, New and Vintage Secretaires

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.