Description:
Queen Anne scalloped-top dressing table in re-mahoganized cherry. This table, which is among the first pieces of scalloped-top furniture made in western Massachusetts, reflects the long term appeal of the Baroque design in western Massachusetts furniture and architecture. The scalloped top concept, which begain in Wethersfield, Connecticut in the 1750s, migrated up the Connecticut River Valley to the Northampton-Hatfield-Deerfield region of western Massachusetts, where other variants in this "style" were made into the first years of the ninettenth century. Dressing tables were considered indispensable to the well-appointed bedchamber. A study in curves, this example’s scalloped top with molded edges, shell-carved central drawer, dark, varnished finish and polished brasses were designed to catch and throw light, heightening its visual appeal. Using a template, the maker cut the design of the top with a saw. He then hand-carved the molded edge, using gouges and a sharp-edged scraper, creating a tour-de-force of design. Connecticut River Valley consumers particularly appreciated heartwood cherry that had been colored with brown-black stain, giving the appearance of top-quality mahogany at less than half the price. The table has a carved scalloped top with a large overhang, over one long and three short drawers. The middle short drawer has a concave carved shell, over a matching concave area on the scalloped skirt below. The table is supported on four cabriole legs ending in pad feet on discs. The original brasses (no key holes) and pendant finials were lost in the Victorian era, and the interior drawers were painted yellow. By the twentieth century, this dressing table had been stripped and refinished. Evidence of the original transparent brown-black stain on the underside of the drawers and bottom guided the 1995 restoration of its original mahoganized appearance. This table relates to a similar table found in Northampton (now in Winterthur) and to one owned by the Allis family of Hatfield, which had the same scalloping, carved fan, drops, and legs. Replaced brasses, pendant drops are missing. The top drawer front, legs, and the back board are cherry. The sides of the top drawer are white pine.
Label Text:
A Boston-trained cabinetmaker working in Wethersfield, Connecticut, introduced scallop-top furniture to the Connecticut River Valley in the early 1750s. Inspired by his innovation, cabinetmakers in western Massachusetts soon developed their own robust scallop-top designs for dressing tables, tea tables, and low chests of drawers. The undulating curves of this dressing table’s top, as well as its shell-carved central drawer and polished brasses, were meant to catch and throw light, heightening its visual appeal. Although heavily refinished in the 20th century, evidence of the original transparent brown-black stain on the interior of the case guided the 1995 restoration of its original “mahoganized” appearance. Connecticut River Valley consumers particularly appreciated heartwood cherry that had been colored with brown-black stain, imparting the appearance of top-quality mahogany at less than half the price.
TAKE NOTE!
●Using a template, the maker cut the design of the top with a saw. He hand-carved the molded edge, using gouges and a sharp-edged scraper, creating a tour-de-force of design.
●By the 20th century, this dressing table had been stripped and refinished. Evidence of the original transparent brown-black stain on the underside of drawers and the bottom guided the 1995 restoration of its original “mahoganized” appearance.
Dressing tables were considered indispensable to the well-appointed bedchamber. A study in curves, this example’s scalloped top with molded edges, shell-carved central drawer, dark, varnished finish and polished brasses were designed to catch and throw light, heightening its visual appeal. Connecticut River Valley consumers particularly appreciated heartwood cherry that had been colored with brown-black stain, giving the appearance of top-quality mahogany at less than half the price.
Where did the scallop-top concept come from? Boston cabinetmakers who had moved to Wethersfield, Connecticut starting in the 1730s introduced scallop-top designs around 1750. Perhaps western Massachusetts craftsmen encountered the idea in their travels down the Connecticut River to visit, apprentice with, or work for Wethersfield cabinetmakers. Perhaps consumers in western Massachusetts, known to have commissioned furniture from Wethersfield cabinetmakers, purchased tea tables and dressing tables with scalloped tops and shipped them up-river, inspiring local cabinetmakers to develop their own designs. Cabinetmakers in Hadley, Hatfield, Northampton, Deerfield and the hill towns to the west, such as Shelburne, delighted clients with their exuberant scallop-top furniture into the first decade of the 19th century.
Using a template, the maker cut the design of the top with a saw. He hand-carved the molded edge, using gouges and a sharp-edged scraper, creating a tour-de-force of design.
By the twentieth century, this dressing table had been stripped and refinished. Evidence of the original transparent brown-black stain on the underside of drawers and the bottom guided the 1995 restoration of its original mahoganized appearance.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+67.254 |
