Dressing table

Date1725-1735

MediumBlack walnut primary; yellow pine secondary; birch and red cedar inlay (by microanalysis).

DimensionsOH: 27 3/4"; OD: 29 1/2"; OW: 22 1/2"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number2003-2

DescriptionAppearance: Rectangular chamber table with cabriole legs, pad feet, and applied knee blocks; one long drawer in skirt with herringbone inlay around edges of facade and original brass drawer pull with backplate; overhanging top with molded edge and inlaid compass star in center.
Label TextThe hand-shaped cabriole legs, inlaid decoration, and dovetail joints of the drawer indicate that the maker of this table was trained as a cabinetmaker. He was aware of British construction methods and attempted to produce an elegant object. On the other hand, the artisan's work left something to be desired. A poorly formed mortise and tenon joint required the addition of a metal brace to stabilize the left rear corner soon after the table was made.

Small, single-drawer tables like this one were used for a variety of purposes including dressing, reading, writing, and needlework.
ProvenanceThe table was discovered in 2002 in the kitchen of an early twentieth-century farmhouse owned by the Hazelwood family near Lanexa in western James City County, Virginia. The family has associations with James City County dating back to the eighteenth century.

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