Vintage Mahogany Drop-Front Secretary Desk With Carved Gallery & Lower Shelf

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A vintage early 20th-century mahogany drop-front secretary desk designed in the Chippendale Revival taste with Queen Anne and Edwardian influences. … Read more A vintage early 20th-century mahogany drop-front secretary desk designed in the Chippendale Revival taste with Queen Anne and Edwardian influences. The compact case measures 40 3/4 inches high by 28 1/4 inches wide by 18 inches deep, making it particularly well suited for use as a writing desk, occasional secretary, or decorative accent piece.

The slant or drop-front panel features attractively figured mahogany veneer with decorative metal corner mounts and a central brass-tone key escutcheon. Opening the hinged front reveals a fitted writing interior containing numerous small pigeonholes, document compartments, and divided storage sections. The lowered front forms the writing surface.

A full-width drawer below the writing compartment is fitted with a pair of traditional brass-tone bail pulls. The desk is supported by an unusually decorative open base incorporating shaped legs, pierced scrolling fretwork beneath the drawer, ornamental side supports, and a broad lower shelf. The lower shelf is framed by a distinctive pierced or spindle-like gallery that adds considerably to the visual character of the piece.

The combination of figured mahogany, pierced fretwork, shaped supports, brass hardware, and drop-front construction reflects the revival of 18th-century English furniture forms popular during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. See less