Corner Cupboard

Date1790-1800

OriginAmerica, Virginia, Frederick County

MediumCherry, mahgaony yellow pine, and glass

DimensionsOH: 125"; OW: 61"; OD: 24"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1973-197

DescriptionDESCRIPTION: Two part corner cupboard with a broken pitched pediment; two side urn and spire wooden finials atop fluted plinths and one central larger urn and spire finial atop a foliate carved applied element; two arched glazed doors, each with 12 panes, the upper three conforming to the shape of the arch, flanked by arched stop- fluted pilasters with Ionic carved capitals; four fixed shelves with applied scalloped edges inside cupboard; lower case comprised of two paneled doors flanked by supports for pilasters on upper case; one fixed shelf inside cupboard; shaped bracket feet.

CONSTRUCTION: Upper case: The full length tongue and groove backboards are nailed to the top, shelves, and bottom board; the bottom rail is tenoned into the stiles and nailed to the bottom board; the vertically grained stiles are nailed to the shelves and tenoned and pegged to the lowest of the horizontally grained tympanum boards; the tympanum is composed of four boards, the bottom two flank the arched section of the cupboard doors, these are joined to the middle board with butt joints and glue blocks, two of which are also glued to the backboards; the middle board is joined to the upper board with a butt joint; the three-piece cornice molding is glued and nailed to the tympanum and its return forms the pilaster cornice; the two outer finials are glued to fluted plinths that are attached to the top of the cornice molding with a peg; the larger center finial is attached with a peg to a plinth formed by the tympanum which is faced with a glued and nailed mahogany foliate carved block; the pilaster's two-piece frieze, carved mahogany capital, fluted shaft and base are glued and nailed to the tympanum and stiles; side trim strips are nailed to the tympanum, stiles and backboards; a quirk (scratch) bead surrounds the arched door frame; the door hinge mortises are double depth in the stiles allowing for no hinge mortises in the doors, which in turn allows the hinge spine to more closely align with the quirk bead; the pegged mortise and tenon door frame joints are through tenoned as are all but one of the horizontal muntins; a swag trim strip is attached to the front of each shelf with wooden pegs.
Lower case: The stiles and tongue and groove backboards are nailed to the top, shelves, and bottom board; the top and bottom rails are nailed respectively to the top and bottom boards and mortised to the stiles; a vertical center backboard, which extends to the floor to provide a third rear leg, was secured with nails to the top, shelves, bottom board and adjoining backboards; the stiles extend to the floor and are faced with glue blocks and nailed on bracket foot facings, all of which are identically shaped; base molding is glued and nailed to bottom rail and bracket feet; the top molding is surface nailed to the stiles and top rail; pilasters are face nailed to the stiles as are the one-piece pilaster bases and caps; side trim strips are nailed to the stiles and backboards; a quirk bead surrounds opening for the doors; doors are comprised of mortise and through tenon rails and stiles, the inner edges of which are dadoed to receive a floating panel; as in upper case, the door hinge mortises are double depth in the stiles allowing for no hinge mortises in the doors; from observation it appears that the interior of the cabinet was first painted light blue, and later beige.
Label TextBased upon the use of cherry and yellow pine in its construction and upon the handling of its pilasters and other carved elements, this extraordinarily large cupboard is attributed to the same Winchester craftsman who produced the Lupton family high chests and desk and bookcase (1973-325 & 1930-68). The cupboard was found in the Hamilton family residence at Kernstown, immediately south of Winchester.

Like most Winchester area corner cupboards, this example has a strong architectural character. While it is largely of cherry, the carved pilaster capitals were executed in mahogany, a wood which is better suited for such work. The Spanish brown paint on the interior surfaces, including the scalloped shelf edges, is a later alteration that covers the original robin's egg blue.
ProvenanceIn a letter from Evelyn Byrd Deyerle to Joe Kindig, Jr., (November, 1961) Ms. Deyerle wrote she found the cupboard at a Mr. Ricer's [sp?] shop. He stated that "it had come originally from the Hamilton house near Kernstown" and that "the cupboards and woodwork had been made when the house was built." Ms. Deyerle later visited the house writing "An elderly lady...was wonderfully gracious and took us through the entire house. Her father had purchased the farm eighty years ago and she had been taken there as a young girl. She knew that the house predated 1800- but not exactly how much - and she said the cupboard had not been left in the house. The interior is quite simple - wainscoting in every room with four mantels remaining - extending up to the ceilings which are an appalling 14 feet. These are elegantly simple - some toothing - but not highly decorated. The large front room stays closed - used for storage - and no wonder! There is an enormous soar in the middle of the wall - the outer bricks barr. They never closed over the space left by the removal of the great mantel. The doors are six paneled - very thin and light - and there never were any cornices."