Secretary desk

This furniture form can take on many styles, but generally consists of a writing desk with sets of drawers. Originally in the 18th Century, secretary desks in France were tall casepiece furniture with drawers at the bottom, a bookcase on top, and a desk with a drop-lid in the center. The style evolved in the 19th Century. Secretary desks were lighter with the lower compartment generally forgoing cabinets and taking on an appearance of a table, while the upper portion generally had a set of concealed drawers. These alterations in style made secretary desks in the 19th Century more commonplace in dressing rooms rather than libraries and were frequently decorated with ornate feminine mounting and considered luxury objects.

Inlay

Form of decoration which involves cutting small pieces of ivory, precious metals, mother-of-pearl, or wood which are then fitted into carved-out recesses of the same shape on a solid piece of furniture to create a picture or geometric design. Differs from marquetry which uses applied veneers.

Mahogany

Mahogany is a straight grained hard wood with silky texture, ranging in color from dark brown to red. Furniture made from mahogany became popular in Britain from Mid-18th Century on, spreading throughout Europe.

Veneer

A wood finishing technique in which thin sheet of fine wood is applied to a the surface of a coarser wood or other structural material for decoration. Veneer is used to give furniture pieces a finer, more pleasing appearance. It was first used in ancient Egypt, classical Greece, and Rome, but did not appear again until the 17th Century in the Netherlands.