Description:
Chinese export ornate black lacquer sewing table, a documented example of lacquerware owned by Eliza Brown Clarkson (1824-1907) who married James A. Clarkson (ca. 1816-1849) of Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1845. James Clarkson worked as a captain for ships registered as passenger and mail lines; Eliza accompanied him on 1849 voyage of the ship '"Marathon," which included visits to Java, the Philippines, and Canton. An account book for James survives at the Cape Ann Historical Association, which lists an invoice of merchandise shipped from Canton and bound to Boston on board the ship "Chicora." Among a variety of ivory goods is one case containing "work table with ivory fittings" valued at $24. This table contains 18 inner compartments, four with lacquered covers with ivory pulls and others with carved ivory containers for silk thread and needles, and an assortment of ivory sewing birds or winding clamps, winding spools, flat thread winders, and tatting shuttles, netting instruments, fitted multiple winder, and a red silk pin cushion; the original silk bag (probably red) used to hold unfinished work, which was affixed to a sliding panel on the underside, is missing. Personal artifacts and souvenirs of the trip fill the table: ambrotype portrait of Eliza Clarkson (2005.9.2), calling cards (one printed "Mrs. J. A. Clarkson" - 2005.9.3), pith paper painting, souvenirs,needlework, and grasses (2005.9.11-.12) from Napoleon's tomb on St. Helena, and drawings Eliza made during the voyage, including images of "Java Canoe" (2005.9.5), "Church and dwelling house at Manilla and Manilla Cathedral" (2005.9.8), "St. Helena" (2005.9.4), and "Tammy Younger's Old Witch House" (2005.9.6). She also made several profile sketches of herself and others; on one sketch of herself she included the intriguing statement, "Conquer difficuties" (2005.9.6), which probably refers to the death of her husband on the trip. According to Eliza's obituary, her husband "was stricken with a fatal illness and died in mid-ocean October 29, 1849" on the return voyage. Traditionally, corpses were committed to the sea, but Eliza wanted her husband's body to be buried in Gloucester, which she did when she returned to the United States in January 1850, burying James in Gloucester's Wesleyan Cemetery. This rectangular table with its four scalloped and fluted corners is covered overall with black, red, and gold lacquer with Chinese garden scenes in gold with red highlights, all of which have figures, building, trees, rocks, and other foliage in the background, surrounded by elaborate scrolling, strapwork, floral sprays, phoenix-like birds, butterflies, and Buddhist symbols such as endless knot and the conch. The center top of the hinged lid has a large garden panel outlined by a band of small flower heads and scrolling feather-like sprays, which are also used around the bottom edge of the table; similar scenes and decoration are continued around the sides of the top and table, and the interior lid is also decorated with a garden scene. The large, black interior compartment has a lock and key, and two long rectangular compartments attached to the sides with lids with conch-shaped ivory pulls and decorated with garden scenes. The removable center tray has 16 interior compartments: two with decorated lids with conch-shaped ivory pulls; two with scrolling gold floral sprays and two birds on the bottom (one has an attached ivory sewing tool); and six with removable interior trays (one has a red silk pin cushion). The table is supported on an elaborate stand with elaborate gilded fretwork on the two legs and stretchers; garden scenes on the outside of the arched feet; scrolling floral sprays and grapevines on the interior sides; and four dragon feet.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2005.9.1 |
