Clothespress

Date1770-1780

MediumMahogany, ebony, tulip poplar, white pine, Spanish cedar, and cherry.

DimensionsH: 83: OW: 2 1/2" OD: 23 3/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1989-63

DescriptionAppearance: Mahogany clothespress in three stages; upper stage consists of removable molded cornice; middle stage consists of two flat panel doors concealing five sliding clothes trays; lower stage consists of three short over two long drawers supported on carved ball and claw feet with shallow base molding; front feet have foliate carved knees and brackets, rear feet have plain knees and brackets; doors and all drawers have applied ebony cock bead; doors have rule joints that open to maximum of 90 degrees and are supported below by brass quadrant hinges; clothes trays run on ledger strips attached to inside of carcass and inside surface of doors; original brass pulls were of bail and rosette form; original escutcheons of rim liner form.

Construction: Back of middle stage has poplar center stile flanked by vertical poplar back boards; clothes trays have Spanish cedar sides, fronts, and backs, and poplar bottoms; trays run on ledger strips that have been cut into short, 4" sections, each attached with a single wrought sprig so as to prevent splitting of case sides through shrinkage; ledger strips on doors are each attached with three hand screws, one in the center of the door panel and one in each stile, to prevent splitting of door panels through shrinkage; lower stage has horizontal poplar back boards; drawers have poplar sides, backs, and bottoms; dust boards are panel framed; knee blocks on feet are backed with secondary blocks.

Materials: Mahogany and ebony primary; tulip poplar, white pine, Spanish cedar, cherry, and mahogany secondary.
InscribedFragmentary label, ca. 1880-1920, adhered to left side of back, reads in part "Mon_g_m___" and "from her."
MarkingsNone