Secretaries
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€6,500.00Louis XV style, France, end of the 19th century. Various hardwoods and softwoods, veneered, primed in red, decorated in lacquer technique in the form of landscape scenes on the reverse side, raised work. Two drawers on the front, sloping writing. Writing flap and two pull-out support slats. Interior with four drawers, sliding back bottom section, top and inside with red leather upholstery decorated with gold, gilded bronze ornamental fittings. Dimensions: 93 x 90 x 56 cm, beautiful restored condition
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€6,800.00Softwood and hardwood body on slightly curved feet. Veneered with satinwood, rosewood and rosewood. Field-marked and with indicated fluting on the studs. A front loading drawer in the upper section as well as a writing tablet lined with gold embossed leather on the inside. Decorative bronze doré fittings including “chien courrant” frieze, corner bronzes and other motifs. 6-layered interior, profiled grey marble top. Dimensions: 142 x 100 x 40 cm. Condition: Restored condition. Surface polished with nat. shellac
Secretaries
We understand secretaries to be furniture that serves to store documents and possibly also provides a writing surface.
In the 16th century, especially in Italy and Holland, so-called cabinets were built. They were mostly delicate corpus furniture that stood on higher feet and had a multitude of drawers, compartments and hinged doors. During the Renaissance, they were among the most magnificent objects made of materials such as ebony, ivory, tortoiseshell and precious stones.
In Central Europe, from the beginning of the XVIII century, secretaries go back to a further development of tabernacle cabinets, which were additionally equipped with a hinged writing tablet.
A particularly large number of secretary types were created in France from the Louis XV era onwards:
- Stand Secretary (Secrétaire à abattant or secrétaire droit)
- Writing Commode (Commode formant secrétaire)
- Travel Secretary (Secrétaire de voyage)
- Cylinder secretary (Secrétaire à cylindre)
- Secretary with sloping top (Secrétaire de pente or “dos d’ane”)
- Ladies’ Secretary with Body (Bonheur du jour)
- High Secretary (Secrétaire en guillotine)
- High-legged secretaries (Secrétaire en cabinet)
All these forms were produced in the Louis XVI, Empire and throughout the XIX century. Most of them were made of veneered wood and marked. Specimens with chinoiseries were particularly valuable. Naturally, they had a bronze doré fitting, sometimes very rich.