This museum secretary was created around 1790 in Leipzig by Friedrich Gottlob Hoffmann.

 

Hoffmann sold his furniture at that time via the first own furniture catalogues in history and thus reached a large audience.

 

Our Bureau for Women can be compared in terms of structure with the Bureau for Women No. 7 shown in the catalogue of 1789.

 

In contrast to the catalogue, however, our furniture is divided for transport.

 

The feet can be unscrewed with wood threads, as is usual for Hoffmann.

 

The buyer could choose between different woods & designs when ordering, which was considerably reflected in the price.

 

This bureau for women is particularly elaborately made with expensive woods (different mahogany, royal wood, ebony, maple and gray atlas wood).

 

It has English fittings, English lock of the writing flap, rich contrast by drawn brass mouldings, sawn gallery and a medallion in Grisaille painting on copper.

 

Furthermore, the furniture was ordered by the then customer "with toilet" in the third plinth, which extends the furniture by a Pudreuse.

 

The only known comparative piece in this quality is owned by the Weimarer Klassik Foundation in the city castle in Weimar.

 

(Cf. Sulzbacher / Atzig, Friedrich Gottlob Hoffmann, Dresden 2014, p. 128, 129 )

 

Provenance:

 

Originally, this piece of furniture was probably bought by a rich Jewish banker or merchant family in Germany from Friedrich Gottlob Hoffmann in Leipzig.

 

Around 1933, the furniture was brought to Israel by the then owners on the run from the National Socialists.

 

From their estate, the furniture then came to the local antiques trade in the 1980s.

 

There, the Bureau was then acquired by the previous owners, who were in the diplomatic service in Tel Aviv at that time.

 

When they returned to Germany, they brought the secretary with them.

 

In 2025 I was lucky enough to buy the furniture from this family's collection.

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Style :                 Period Classicism

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Age:                   around 1790

 

Types of wood:     royal wood, mahogany, gray atlas wood (maple coloured), maple, ebony

 

Origin:                Friedrich Gottlob Hoffmann, Leipzig , A Bureau for Ladies No. 7

 

Dimensions:          W: 104 cm H: 169 cm D: 53 cm

 

Price:                   u.R.