Biedermeier Maple Secretary, 1820s

Southern Germany (Munich)
Burl wood, maple
Biedermeier circa 1820

Dimensions: H x W x D: 150 x 89 x 47 cm

Unusual, graceful and well-proportioned writing desk from the early 19th century.

Standing on lion’s paws at the front and block feet at the back, this piece of furniture has two large drawers at the bottom, a hinged writing tablet above, a further drawer below the cornice and a top drawer at the very top.
In addition to the pilasters with herm endings, the main characteristic feature is the burl veneer (probably elm root) applied over the entire surface, which is strongly structured but at the same time almost directionless and makes the surface appear to be made of stone. The flatness of the furniture is subtly interrupted by the sparingly inlaid keyhole borders.

The aesthetic understanding of the creator of this piece of furniture is also evident elsewhere. Please take a look at the photo, which shows the furniture from the front. Only on second glance do you notice that the flat triangular gable, which protrudes almost imperceptibly from the front of the head drawer, is continued in the sloping top panel. Also worth mentioning are the locks of the two large drawers with a cloverleaf-shaped spike.

The interior of the secretary also shows the Parisian influence on German Biedermeier furniture design. We see a French division veneered in maple with an open compartment flanked by columns. Underneath, there are five obvious drawers and two handleless drawers on the outside that can only be opened using a secret mechanism. A full-width drawer forms the upper end of the writing compartment.

Interesting facts about the French influence on German furniture design:
German re-interpretations of French furniture are known from the Munich Residence and are described in Hoyer/Ottomeyer – Die Möbel der Residenz München Vol. III. On p. 101 we find a delicate secretary from the toilet room of King Max I Joseph, which was probably delivered from Paris around 1804. It is veneered in amaranth and studded with rich fire-gilt bronzes. The interior is veneered in maple.
A “Germanised” copy of this piece of furniture is described on p. 273. The secretary, made around 1820, has a surface of light-coloured burl wood, the interior is still veneered in maple and the bronze fittings have been dispensed with entirely.
The text literally states: “The burl secretary is a copy of the amaranth secretary in the same shape, using different materials. The aesthetic interest in the transformation into a different, simpler formal language is certainly at the forefront here. The secretary is not a copy, but an experiment in the transformation of Empire forms into Biedermeier forms. Another analogous case became known: the >Bonheur de jour< secretary made of amboina wood by Werner from 1821 was made again for Tegernsee Castle in simple veneer wood and without any fire-gilded bronze fittings. The Paris original was copied in Munich with the intention of transforming it into a simple piece of veneer furniture with smooth surfaces, which impresses with its clear form rather than rich decoration.
The structurally identical copy with a different surface design is a rare example of the deliberate development of Parisian Empire forms into Munich Biedermeier forms, which are characterised by large surfaces in order to allow the natural forms of the wood grain to come to the fore undisturbed[…].

Interesting facts about burl wood:
[…] Another preference of the time – over and above the large-scale veneer pictures – was for heavily textured veneers, which either have shimmering waves and lights in the wood, such as birch, ash and maple, or show the flaming, small-scale drawings of root burl wood. This extremely hard wood, which is difficult to saw into veneer sheets, or the burl wood of diseased trunk growths, was the subject of a very special cult. Whereas in the 18th century it was only possible to use small pieces and narrow strips for inlays, the new circular and band saws powered by water and steam now made it possible to cut larger areas of veneer from this extremely tough wood. Great endeavours were made to track down the overgrown old tubers that provided the wood sought; if it was not found in sufficient quantity and quality, trees were crippled to obtain the coveted raw material. [Ottomeyer, Schlapka – Biedermeier Interieurs und Möbel p. 113]

Condition: Restored and suitable for everyday use. Shellac hand polished.

Two secretaries veneered entirely in burl wood and standing on paw feet were made in Munich around 1815-20.

Please refer to the following literature:
Ottomeyer Schlapka – Biedermeier Interieurs und Möbel p. 115
Himmelheber – Biedermeiermöbel p. 89