Object Details
Geography
United States: Pennsylvania: Philadelphia
Medium
wood; mahogany; southern yellow pine; yellow-poplar; Atlantic white cedar
Dimensions
Overall: 30 1/2 in x 34 1/2 in x 21 in; 77.47 cm x 87.63 cm x 53.34 cm
Provenance
According to David Stockwell, the Wilmington, Delaware, dealer, this dressing table descended in the Ramsey family of Delaware; Stockwell acquired it from Paul Robb, a collateral heir;[1] to the Fine Arts Committee through purchase Notes 1.David Stockwell, Letter to the author, Wilmington, Delaware, July 26, 1989, Curatorial files, Office of the Curator, Diplomatic Reception Rooms
Inscriptions
In graphite on the underside of the long drawer, "August 17th/1766/January 21st/1789/New Orleans/James Holdbrook". The meaning of this inscription in light of the available provenance is uncertain
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Richard C. Rockwell
Collection
The Diplomatic Reception Rooms, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
Accession Number
RR-1985.0031
Object Essay
Dressing tables and high chests went out of fashion in Philadelphia with the advent of neoclassicism during the last two decades of the 18th century, and this object may date from that time. The square proportions, echoed by the shape of the central drawer, probably reflect the neoclassical interest in geometry. Recessed drawer fronts with beaded moldings create a smooth front plane that was also admired during the classical revival. A decline of enthusiasm for the rococo style may explain the uninspired carving on the legs and skirt. The shell, however, was created by a carver who still reveled in the effects of depth and textural contrast characteristic of the rococo style. The applied foliate scrolls flanking the shell are restored.
David L. Barquist
Excerpted from Clement E. Conger, et al. Treasures of State: Fine and Decorative Arts in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the U.S. Department of State. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1991.
