Images(5)

Dressing table

Dateca. 1753

Artist/Maker Henry Cliffton

Artist/Maker Thomas Carteret

Possibly by Nicholas Bernard (d. 1789)

OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

MediumMahogany, white cedar, yellow pine, and tulip poplar.

DimensionsOH: 30 1/2" OW: 34 1/2" OD: 20 1/2"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase, partially funded by The Dietrich American Foundation, H. Richard Dietrich, Jr., and Leigh Keno

Object number1993-130

DescriptionAppearance: molded rectangular two-board top with canted corners above a conforming case with fluted canted corners; case fitted with one full-length molded drawer over three molded drawers, center drawer embellished with central carved shell with stop-fluted lobes and punched work flanked by interlaced foliate and tendril C-scrolls above a shaped skirt with central inverted carved shell; cabriole legs with carved flowerets and acanthus at knees and ball-and-claw feet; drawers have brass bail pulls and shaped escutcheons.

Construction: two-board top originally attached with glue blocks (now missing), now attached with modern screws, 9 modern screw pockets, 6 screws used; two-board horizontal back board mortised into leg posts and secured with three exposed wood pins per side; sides mortised into leg posts; horizontal blade let into legs, vertical blades through-mortised into horizontal blade; rabbeted drawer runners for full-length drawer nailed front and rear to leg posts with wrought sprigs; full height drawer dividers dadoed into back board and rabbeted and nailed with wrought sprigs into glue strips attached to rear of vertical blades; chamfered glue blocks at inside of leg post/case junctures and at drawer runners and outside guides; bottom boards nailed to ledger strips attached to front skirt and back board; drawers dovetailed front and rear, sides and back tops rounded, dovetail saw kerfs evident on rear of drawer facades, bottom panels chamfered on underside and run in dadoes, flush-nailed at the rear with wrought-head nails, glue strips with mitered ends set on bottom panel.

Materials: Mahogany top, case sides, legs; white cedar back boards, bottom boards, drawer bottoms, glue blocks; yellow pine drawer runners and guides; tulip poplar drawer sides, dividers.
Label TextThis dressing table and a matching high chest of drawers (CWF accession 1975-154) were made for Dr. Samuel Moore of Philadelphia, who married Hannah Hill in 1739. In the manner of the day, the Moores undoubtedly placed the furniture in their second-floor sleeping chamber. The dressing table housed toiletries.
Inscribed"Benj. R. Smith / Care of / T. Stewardson Jr." on back in black stain; "No 1 / D B S[mi?]th" in pencil script on inside of long drawer bottom; "Mrs. John Hea[?] / [?]6" ink on paper label on bottom of right bottom board; various chalk numbers and marks on insides of drawers. "Right" in pencil on flanking drawer bottom. "Left" in pencil on flanking drawer bottom, "4" in chalk on rear and right side of drawer , various chalk marks in drawers.
MarkingsNone
ProvenanceMr. and Mrs. Edward Wanton Smith; The family of Mr. J. William Middendorf (b. 1924) of Washington DC; Leigh Keno.
Letters to CW staff from Christie's staff May 24, 1993 indicate that the then "present owner" who had consigned the piece - most likely Middendorf - had acquired it from Edward W. Smith.

The dressing table appears to have descended through Mr. Smith's family. Most likely originally owned with high chest #1975-154 signed by Henry Cliffton and Thomas Carteret in 1753 by Hannah Hill (1723-1799) and Samuel Preston Moore of Philadelphia.

Probable line of descent:
Hannah Hill Moore (1723-1799) and Samuel Preston Moore (m. 1739) to Hannah's neice
Deborah Morris Smith (1760-1823) to son
Daniel B. Smith (1792-1883 or 1888) to son
Benjamin Raper Smith (1825-1904) to son
Edward Wanton Smith (1875-1940) to son
Edward Wanton Smith Jr. (1921-2001)

Exhibition(s)