French Empire Flame Mahogany Drop Front Secretaire Abattant Secretary Desk

19th century Chippendale style mahogany blockfront secretary desk. Item features solid mahogany wood construction, dramatic shapely legs terminating with ball and claw feet on the fr...

Antique English Edwardian Mahogany Chest of Drawers Secretary Desk Bureau. Item features a fall front top drawer with green tooled leather writing surface and fitted interior, hand d...

Chapman Italian neoclassical burl wood patchwork olivewood tall secretary desk. Item features 2 part construction, lighted interior with dimmer swi...

Limited edition release with metal tag indicating 2/99 "Part of a series of striking pieces designed by Adolfo Natalini, this secretary desk was entirely made in cherrywood with a dark finishing. The collapsible desk...

French Empire style mahogany bow front chest dresser with bronze paw feet. Item features cast bronze metal paw feet, bowed front, lion head pulls, solid wo...

Beautiful Antique 19th C. Single Drawer French Empire Console Table. Item features beautiful woodgrain with attractive mounts including human form feet, rear back splash, and maiden ...

Early 19th century French mahogany wood Empire style drop front secretary with a removable black marble top. The secretary features two front side columns with bronze mounts detail w...

Classic antique French Empire drop front "abattant" secretary desk made with magnificent high quality flame mahogany adorned with bronze doré mounts and its original gray marble top....

Exquisite tall 19th century French Empire mahogany secretaire abattant which features elegant patterns, created by the rich mahogany ...

A handsome 19th century Empire secrétaire à abattant made of rich bookmatched and figured walnut. This desk has a black fossil marble top resting above a drawer, accessible with a hidden pull. Below is a fold front door revealing a fitted interior with a functional writing surface, inset with worn green leather with gold tooling. The interior has an open storage shelf flanked with empirical styled columns over a set of six drawers of varying sizes. The writing surface is supported with rounded brass hinges. Below are three easy to use drawers...

Beautiful upright secrétaire from the French Empire period. The desk is made of oak with burr walnut veneer, decorated with bronze ormolu elements. These are typical of the French Em...

This secretaire a abattant is the in French Empire style and is veneered in Cuban acajou mahogany, with bronze doré mounts and a gray Saint Anne marble top. Dimensions Closed: Height: 56.5 in. (143.51 cm) Width: 38 in. (96.52 cm) Depth: 15.75 in. (40.01 cm) Overall Cabinet Depth with the slant-front opened is 33.75". The desk top/slant opened is 21.38" deep. The piece has three lower drawers which are lockable (key included) and the single hidden drawer at the top. The interior has five document and accessory storage drawers. The fall-front (which locks) retains its original tooled leather border (with a Greek-Key pattern) and a later replacement dark green felt.   The bronze doré mounts on the drawers are cornucopias which symbolize bounty. The fall-front has a mount with scrolling roses and foliage. There are two mounts with a male and female profile. The male has a baby owl on his helmet which symbolizes wisdom. And hanging from the females hair-band is a peacock which symbolizes the ability to see all. The fall front desk can be considered the cousin of the secretary desk. Both have a main working surface or desktop which does double duty as a cover to seal up papers and other items located in small shelves or small drawers placed one on top of the other in front of the user. Thus, all working papers, documents and other items have to be stored before the desk is closed. Unlike the secretary desk, the fall front desk's desktop panel is in a perfectly vertical position when in its closed position. Often, there are no additional shelves or drawers above the section which is enclosed by the desktop. Thus, the fall front desk is identical in shape to a Barguen~o desk which would have been placed on a Stand of drawers, or more precisely to the form known as Desk on a chest or as "chest-on chest". The fall front desk is also called a drop front desk or drop-front desk, and sometimes also a drop lid desk...