Dressing Table
Furniture MakerMade by
Unknown
Date1770-1790
MediumCherry primary wood, eastern white pine secondary wood, brass hardware
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (overall height x width x depth): 31 1/2 x 36 x 23in. (80 x 91.4 x 58.4cm)
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineGift of Ellsworth S. Grant
Object number1991.56.0
DescriptionCherry dressing table with a scallop top in the Chippendale, or rococo style. The dressing table has local characteristics associated with the Wethersfield style, specifically the Francis and the Willard groups. The top has a scalloped edge at the front and sides. The drawer arrangement consists of one shallow, full-width drawer over three equal-height drawers in a line. The center lower drawer is carved with a recessed shell that has seventeen projecting rays and a scalloped edge. The front skirt has a small, hanging half circle flanked by a small horizontal, a raised half circle, a second small horizontal, and a large cyma curve, or S-curve. Each side skirt has a raised half circle flanked by a small horizontal and a small cyma curve. The cabriole legs are slender, and each has a small pad foot over a truncated cone. Hardware on the top drawer consists of a center blind brass lock escutcheon flanked by a brass escutcheon with a bail pull. The shell carved drawer has a single brass knob at the lower center of the shell. Each side drawer has a brass escutcheon with a bail pull.
Condition: The top has been reinforced with screws that are inserted through the sides of the case. The projecting portion of the back left knee has been replaced. The interior of each drawer bottom is stained. The hardware is replaced.
Design and Construction Details: The top is made of a single board that is joined to the case with wooden pegs; the board has rounded edges on the front and sides. The case is made with mortise-and-tenon construction. The backboard is tenoned into the leg posts. There is no rail above the top drawer. The knee returns are applied to the front of the skirt. The feet were shaped with hand tools and not turned on a lathe. The drawer divider is visibly tenoned into the leg posts; the vertical partitions are visibly dovetailed into the drawer divider above and the skirt below. The drawer runners are tenoned into the backboard. The drawer guides are nailed to the sides of the case or to the center drawer dividers. The drawer fronts are lip-molded on all four sides with ovolo, or thumbnail molding. The drawer sides are rounded on top. The drawer bottoms fit into grooves on the front and sides of each drawer and are nailed at the back. The drawer dovetail pins are large, with little angle.
Condition: The top has been reinforced with screws that are inserted through the sides of the case. The projecting portion of the back left knee has been replaced. The interior of each drawer bottom is stained. The hardware is replaced.
Design and Construction Details: The top is made of a single board that is joined to the case with wooden pegs; the board has rounded edges on the front and sides. The case is made with mortise-and-tenon construction. The backboard is tenoned into the leg posts. There is no rail above the top drawer. The knee returns are applied to the front of the skirt. The feet were shaped with hand tools and not turned on a lathe. The drawer divider is visibly tenoned into the leg posts; the vertical partitions are visibly dovetailed into the drawer divider above and the skirt below. The drawer runners are tenoned into the backboard. The drawer guides are nailed to the sides of the case or to the center drawer dividers. The drawer fronts are lip-molded on all four sides with ovolo, or thumbnail molding. The drawer sides are rounded on top. The drawer bottoms fit into grooves on the front and sides of each drawer and are nailed at the back. The drawer dovetail pins are large, with little angle.
Status
Not on view
