Bedside or night table

Date1760-1775

MediumMahogany, oak, walnut, boxwood Chamber pot-pearlware, 19th century

DimensionsOH: 32 1/8"; OW: 18"; OD: 16"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1986-80

DescriptionAppearance - night table top has shaped gallery as an integral part of rear and side panels, with scalloped, rounded, castellated corners, and lifting handles on right and left sides; rectangular body with one door above lower commode compartment; lower compartment has two drawer facades with cock-bead molding, brass bail rosette pulls, and brass inset key escutcheons, and they conceal a sliding commode stand with chamber and circular lid; all four Marlborough legs beaded on outside corners, and rear legs chamfered on inside corners; front legs split diagonally to support commode unit when extended.

Construction - all elements mahogany except as noted; rear and side panels tenoned into legs; front gallery rail and drawer blade tenoned into front legs; three section deal top has mahogany veneer on top surface and is secured with segmented horizontal grain deal glue blocks on side and back panels; deal shelf above commode compartment attached to two deal horizontal grain rails, one each on left and right sides, which are tenoned into front and rear legs; lower commode seat shelf deal support rails tenoned into front and rear legs, one each on left and right sides approximately 3/4" below upper shelf support rails; one oak auxiliary support strip nailed and glued to all four deal support rails; exterior commode seat frame elements dovetailed together and glued to drawer facade board; interior of seat frame has four oak battens below deal pot support board which are glued and nailed to frame interior; central hole cut into pot support board for pearlware chamber pot; two oak battens above pot support board glued and nailed to seat frame interior, one each on left and right sides; oak half battens glued to front seat frame interior (left side half batten missing); walnut stool seat with chamfered circular hole above pot; turned walnut stool seat lid fits flush in chamfered hole concealing pot; front halves of diagonally cut front legs glued to drawer facade board and seat frame assembly; one boxwood caster on each front half of front legs; inside front legs' horizontal edges hollowed to accommodate casters when commode is closed.

Materials: Primary wood - mahogany
Secondary woods - oak, walnut, boxwood