Meisterstück Hefele-Sekretär: Einblick in die Geheimfächer | Secret drawers of the Hefele Secretary

#antique
"The carpetner Vinzenz Hefele created this secretary in Vienna in 1840 as a masterpiece to demonstrate his exceptional craftsmanship.

This piece of furniture contains a total of 105 drawers, most of which are hidden deep inside the secretary and are difficult to access.

Hefele explains the complicated arrangement of the drawers and the elaborate steps that need to be taken to access them in a detailed description complete with plans that was intended to advise subsequent generations how to use and demonstrate the item properly. The actual purpose of the secretary hence lay not in storing objects but in demonstrating its many functions and in its secret drawers and compartments. In 2016 Hefele's masterpiece was restored and demonstrated by Johannes Ranacher, the MAK's furniture conservator.

Material / technique: walnut wood, veneered on soft and hard wood
Dimensions: height: 157 cm; width: 110 cm; depth: 67 cm
Inventory number: SOB 116-1
Provenance: Acquisition (1956)
Signature: Vincenc Hefele 28 Dec 1840"