Has anyone seen this type of antique secretary before?

[tara1245]

An antique appraiser told my mother that this is a Victorian era American secretary made out of mahogany wood.  He said that he had never seen this type before.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2593/3680072315_f3175f8596.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/3680068927_eec574333b.jpg

[KC]

Can you please post pics of it opened up?

[tara1245]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/3680880208_667ec8d86a.jpg

My mom can't find the key to open the lower part, unfortunately, and it's locked.  The appraiser who visited before is coming back to pick up an item and he is going to bring a key that will be able to open it. 

[railman44]

Those hollow keys are basically generic.  It shouldn't be too hard to find one that works.  Most antique salvage places have tons of keys.  I've never seen one in that design.  I just scanned what you had but did you mention the type of wood it's made from?

[tara1245]

It's made out of mahogany. The appraiser who looked at it thought someone might have had it custom made, because he had never seen one in that same design.

My grandmother collected Victorian furniture and passed a lot of it on to my mother.  I was never that fond of most of it, but I always liked this secretary.  My grandmother always called it a "monk's desk" for some reason.

[talesofthesevenseas]

You know, I was thinking that it looked like something you would find in a Catholic mission. I think it is just because of the shape of the upper part. It reminds me of the retablos that you would open up and the Madonna would be inside. Maybe that is why your grandmother called it a monk's desk. Just a guess!

[tara1245]

The appraiser thought it might have come from a church too, but couldn't find anything similar to it.  I've seen double dome Victorian secretaries before, but not single ones.  Hopefully unusual is better when I comes to antiques? 

[regularjoe2]

I am wondering what I'm looking at ( looks like a slotted brass plate [perhaps on both sides?] adjacent to the outer edge of the drop-down ) mortised into the frame body .

Is this a slotted plate , or a detail carved into the wood ?

( I know more will be revealed when unlocked & opened ... I am curious about it's function , though... )

Sometimes these little guys have 'secret' compartments inside too .

[tara1245]

The line that goes around the outer edge of the drop down (it includes a v dip below the keyhole) is just a detail carved into the wood.

[regularjoe2]

O.K. ... now I've done it again .

I see a little piece of the detail on your last posted image .
It's a groove that I mistook for something else .

Oops !

 

[D&b antiques]

Can we get a photo of the handle. is the back one piece Construction ?

[tara1245]

Sure, I'll take some more pics today and post.