secretary

Secretary

44”W 104”H 25”D

Figured European Pear, Ebony, Sterling Silver

A traditional Secretary consists of a lower chest of drawers, middle fall front desk, and upper bookcase. They are considered by many to be the high point in the art of furniture making. Creating a piece that brought my contemporary aesthetic to this traditional form was a challenge I looked forward to for many years. When I received a commission for just such a piece, I couldn’t resist – I had to do two.

I had a large log of Figured European Pear in my lumber collection. My customer chose that as the main material for his. Ebony was the obvious choice as an accent material. I also had some special Figured African Mahogany in stock and decided to use it for the second piece, accenting the Mahogany with Amboyna Burl – one of my favorites. Both pieces are trimmed with Sterling Silver hardware that was clear coated to prevent tarnishing.

The Secretaries stand close to 9’ tall, and are filled with 26 small drawers, 18 pigeon holes, many detail carvings, and 10 secret compartments. Much of the 3,000 hours put into each of them was spent on fine detail work. The biggest problem is deciding whether to display them with the doors closed – or open.