Cupboard

Date1870-1920

OriginAmerica, Georgia, Cherokee County (probably)

MediumYellow pine and paint

DimensionsOH. 39"; OW. 14 1/2"; OD. 59 1/2"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number2001.2000.1

DescriptionAppearance: Shallow cupboard of yellow pine with two doors on front inset from sides, top and bottom, one medial shelf, decorative scalloped board along back and sides of top, raised geometric moldings ornament on front, doors, and sides; painted green.

Construction: All boards are yellow pine. All joints are butt joints with exception of backboards which are tongue and groove. Joints are secured with cut nails, supplemented with wire nails (no apparent use of glue or screws).

Single board top is nailed to side boards and top rail. Circular sawed, vertical, tongue and groove backboards (three wide and one narrow) are face nailed to top, side and bottom boards. Side and back boards are nailed to the bottom. Side boards are presumably nailed to the top rail, but nails are hidden by trim. Front panels flanking the full length doors are nailed to the sides as well as to the top and bottom rails. Face nails in sides, back and bottom hold single fixed shelf located midway between top and bottom. Recessed rectangular panels are formed by ¾" boards nailed to the doors, sides and front panels. The interior edges of the resulting rectangles are trimmed with inset moldings, nailed in place and painted black to contrast with the green cabinet. Inside the two panels on each side are square blocks formed with triangular cut moldings, painted black and nailed in place.

Two boards are nailed together, to the top rail and to the top (above the top rail) to bring it flush with the front panel and doors. The top rail extends below these boards and functions as a stop when the doors are closed. Shaped panels are nailed to the edge of the top on each side to bring the edge flush with the side trim and extend above the top to create sides for the top. A shaped back panel rests on the top and is nailed to the back boards and to these side panels, which have been notched to form a rabbet to receive the back panel.

The bottom rail assembly consists of two boards nailed together, one of which is inside the case and is nailed to the top of the bottom board. The doors rest against this board when closed. The second board is nailed to the edge of the bottom board and functions as a shaped apron. The ends of that board come down as feet and are nailed to the sides (which extend to the floor) to form the front feet. Rear feet are also integral to the sides, but have no additional support. An inverted "V" is cut in the bottom center of the side boards to create a separation between front and rear feet.

A molding is nailed to the upper part of the bottom rail assembly to bring the rail flush with the doors and front panels. The molding extends around the sides where it is nailed in place to make the sides flush with the side panels.