Antique secretary desks are typically made of wood. Many of these pieces were made of the trees that were indigenous to the area. Those with the means would import woods to have their secretary desks made as a symbol of their wealth.
There are 2 sections of a secretary desk. the bottom holds the legs and the drawers of the desk. The top is a hutch with a plank that could be lowered to write upon. Also in the hutch were pigeon holes where the important documents of the estate would be kept when not in use.
The secretary desks distinguishing feature is the writing surface which is hinged and folds up and back coming to a rest on a 30 to 45 degree angle. The base feature storage drawers and once the writing surface is opened and folded down it reveals more cubbies and smaller drawers. You may find beautiful curved drawer fronts and ornate wood turning among the features.