The secretary is the same age as the epistolary genre. It appeared at the time when people were writing paper letters to each other and needed special furniture for it. This kind of desk spread in Western Europe in the late 17th century as a consequence of the advent of office fashion. A host wide variety of desks appeared at the time ones with a cover-drum, with an elegant stand for reading books or with drawers for office supplies and books.
The hand-made secretary on fine-moulded legs presented at the exhibition was made in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century. Its tabletop is decorated with a golden floral ornament. There are compartments for storage of papers and office supplies at the table top. The work surface is enlarged by a sliding table top, covered with green cloth.
