Press Cupboard
Furniture MakerAttributed to
Walter Hosmer
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Morgan Gardner Bulkeley
(American, 1837 - 1922)
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Fannie Briggs Houghton
(American, 1860 - 1938)
Date1891-1898
MediumOak
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (overall height x width x depth): 56 1/4 x 47 1/8 x 20 1/2in. (142.9 x 119.7 x 52.1cm)
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineGift of Elinor B. Ingersoll in memory of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Avery Ingersoll
Object number1965.10.4
DescriptionOak press cupboard in seventeenth century style, made in the late nineteenth century. The press cupboard consists of four horizontal sections: a flat top over a cornice, over a cabinet with a single door and canted corners flanked by a turned baluster, over projecting carved molding and a drawer, over a cabinet enclosed by two doors. The cornice includes of a row of dentils, over narrow molding, over two flat, carved panels that alternate with three applied rectangular embellishments. The upper cabinet has a square door carved with geometric and floral motifs. The cabinet has canted corners, each with a pair of vertical, rectangular, flower-carved panels; the door and canted corners create a storage space with a trapezoidal footprint. Each back corner of the press cupboard, adjacent to the upper cabinet, has a narrow vertical panel with flat, scrolled carving; each front corner has a bold, turned baluster that is stained black or dark brown. Below the cabinet, the front and sides of the press cupboard each have a panel of horizontal carved molding. This molding consists of a raised, horizontal line bisecting flat, scrolled carving above and below; on the front of the press cupboard, this molding forms the front of a wide drawer. Below the drawer is a cabinet with two square doors, each carved with a symmetrical, geometric pattern. Between the doors is a vertical panel carved with flowers; below the doors is a rail with carved half circles. In the center of the rail, inside one half circle, are the initials "DC". The front leg posts, or corner stiles, to either side of the cabinet doors, are carved with flowers. All four leg posts extend down to form the feet. Each side of the lower cabinet consists of two plain, recessed panels separated by a short vertical stile, all over a rail with a line of incised, horizontal molding. All three doors have a wood knob.
Condition: The cornice molding is missing three dentils.
Design and Construction Details:
Design and Carving. The carved elements of the press cupboard are shallow and have recessed punchwork. The carving at the cornice, vertical panels flanking the upper case and drawer front are the same, with elongated S-scrolls forming abstract leaves above a punched background. The front panel on the upper case has a symmetrical pattern of a center circle surrounded by four circles, with abstract scrolls or leaves inside and surrounding the circles. The panels in the upper case that flank the center door have a flower, or sunflower, in the center and abstract carving of leaves and half of a sunflower above and below. The lower case doors have a symmetrical pattern of abstract leaves, scrolls, fleur-de-lis and semi-circles around a large 'X'. At the outer side of each lower door is a stile with six carved flowers, or sunflowers, much like the flowers on the lower case side panels. The vertical partition between the lower case doors has a row of smaller flowers outlined with undulating lines.
Case Construction. The press cupboard is made with panel-and-frame construction using mortise-and-tenon joints secured with wooden pegs and screws. The upper cabinet and cornice does not separate from the lower portion of the press cupboard. The back of the press cupboard is formed with panel-and-frame construction that is reinforced with screws. The carved door panels of the upper and lower case fit into vertical and horizontal rails with a molded profile. The interior of the top case has a narrow shelf that rests on molding nailed to the sides of the case. The top case is screwed into the lower case from the bottom. The molding at the middle sides is screwed into the case. The lower cabinet interior is divided into two sections by a full-depth wood divider behind the vertical partition between the doors. The bottom of the press cupboard is nailed to the rails that form the sides of the lower case.
Drawer Construction. The drawer runners are nailed to the corner stiles. The drawer has deep grooves in the thick sides; these hang on the drawer runners that are is nailed to the case front and back. The drawer sides are joined to the front with a half-lap dovetail; the back corner of each drawer is joined with a nailed lap joint.
Condition: The cornice molding is missing three dentils.
Design and Construction Details:
Design and Carving. The carved elements of the press cupboard are shallow and have recessed punchwork. The carving at the cornice, vertical panels flanking the upper case and drawer front are the same, with elongated S-scrolls forming abstract leaves above a punched background. The front panel on the upper case has a symmetrical pattern of a center circle surrounded by four circles, with abstract scrolls or leaves inside and surrounding the circles. The panels in the upper case that flank the center door have a flower, or sunflower, in the center and abstract carving of leaves and half of a sunflower above and below. The lower case doors have a symmetrical pattern of abstract leaves, scrolls, fleur-de-lis and semi-circles around a large 'X'. At the outer side of each lower door is a stile with six carved flowers, or sunflowers, much like the flowers on the lower case side panels. The vertical partition between the lower case doors has a row of smaller flowers outlined with undulating lines.
Case Construction. The press cupboard is made with panel-and-frame construction using mortise-and-tenon joints secured with wooden pegs and screws. The upper cabinet and cornice does not separate from the lower portion of the press cupboard. The back of the press cupboard is formed with panel-and-frame construction that is reinforced with screws. The carved door panels of the upper and lower case fit into vertical and horizontal rails with a molded profile. The interior of the top case has a narrow shelf that rests on molding nailed to the sides of the case. The top case is screwed into the lower case from the bottom. The molding at the middle sides is screwed into the case. The lower cabinet interior is divided into two sections by a full-depth wood divider behind the vertical partition between the doors. The bottom of the press cupboard is nailed to the rails that form the sides of the lower case.
Drawer Construction. The drawer runners are nailed to the corner stiles. The drawer has deep grooves in the thick sides; these hang on the drawer runners that are is nailed to the case front and back. The drawer sides are joined to the front with a half-lap dovetail; the back corner of each drawer is joined with a nailed lap joint.
Status
Not on view
