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Bureau Dressing Table

Date1760-1780

OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

MediumMahogany, mahogany veneer, tulip poplar, yellow pine, sweet, gum, and white cedar

DimensionsOH: 32 7/8"; OW: 39"; OD: 21 1/2"

Credit LineBequest of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Hennage

Object number1990-294

DescriptionAppearance: Bureau dressing table with rectangular top with molded edges; blind geometric fret around front and sides over one large drawer with beaded edges and a pair of bail and rosette brass drawer pulls and oval escutcheon; drawer interior divided across front into three sections by vertical dividers; carved floral molding below top drawer around front and sides; two tiers of three drawers each with beaded edges and single bail and rosette drawer pull flank recessed section with carved foliate valance in plane with drawer fronts; recessed door with oval brass escutcheon; base molding above foliate carved ogee bracket feet at each corner of drawer tiers. Brasses replaced.

Construction: Mahogany top dovetailed to sides; molding around top nailed and blind fret below molding glued to top edges, sides, and front rail; top and molding overhangs back; front rail sits in notch in front edge of sides; segmented rectangular glue blocks with chamfered inner corners join rear of front rail to top and sides; mahogany fronted yellow pine bottom board half blind dovetailed to sides and to front portion of inner sides; rear portion of inner sides sits on top of bottom board; inner sides formed by ¾ or so depth mahogany at front butt joined to yellow pine towards rear; inner sides through tenoned (three tenons each) and wedged to top drawer dust board; two horizontal tongue and groove backboards nailed in rabbets in case sides.

Mahogany fronted yellow pine drawer blades in dados or sliding dovetails in case sides; front edge of case sides covered in thin mahogany facing; tulip poplar dustboards, thinner than blades, are in dados in case sides behind drawer blades; top drawer has full depth dust board, small drawers have ¾ depth dust boards; small drawer blades have dado in rear edge but currently dustboards do not have corresponding tongue; rear edge of small drawer dust boards cut on angle (dust boards may have been rotated from original orientation); drawer guide nailed to proper right case side near top to prevent top drawer from tipping when open; two thin rawer stops nailed to tops of dust boards near front.

Carved mahogany valance joined to prospect section inner sides with rectangular glue blocks with chamfered inner corner on rear; top rail of prospect section joined to inner sides and underside of top drawer dustboard with rectangular glue blocks with chamfered inner corners; solid door hinged with knife hinges; nail in bottom board acts as door stop.
Base molding joined to yellow pine boards miter joined to each other (at least where visible) and attached to underside of case around front and sides; triangular blocks (most yellow pine, one mahogany or walnut with a molded edge) fill voids formed by base molding boards at each of front corners; thin mahogany bracket feet glued to underside of base molding; yellow pine triangular block with slightly faceted and chamfered inner side fits in corners formed by bracket feet and knee returns and is supported by large quarter round tulip poplar vertical block; rear feet have short boards at ends, angled rear yellow pine brackets with triangular block below baseboard boards, nailed to bracket feet and supported by large quarter round vertical tulip poplar blocks.

Drawers have standard dovetail construction with sweet gum front (veneered in mahogany), sides and back and cedar bottoms; bottom boards are oriented front to back, chamfered on front and sides, in dados in the same, and nailed to underside of back; small drawers have full length runners glued to bottom at sides with mitered ends; large drawer has segmented blocks glued as runners along sides and front, mitered at front and rear corners; drawer dividers in top drawer in dados in sides and front and miter joined to each other with nailed from outer face of sides and into miter joints.

Woods: Primary: mahogany and mahogany veneer. Secondary: white cedar drawer bottoms; tulip poplar dust boards and foot blocks; sween gum drawer fronts, sides, and backs; yellow pine most other parts.
Label TextThe pronounced regional variations found in early American furniture can be seen when comparing this Philadelphia bureau table to a Rhode Island example (1991-661). While the forms of these two tables are similar, each looks quite different from the other. Each case is about the same size, but varying drawer proportions and different approaches to ornamentation including the block front facade topped by carved shells on the Rhode Island example and the horizontal carved molding under the top drawer on the Philadelphia piece, create extraordinarily different appearances with the Philadelphia example appearing broader. The two bureau tables are typical of goods from their respective cities.
InscribedChalk numerals on inside of sides of case (2) and inner prospect sides (1 and 3) and on one dustboard (2) (proper right side, middle small drawer).
ProvenancePurchased by donors from Israel Sack, Inc. in 1982.

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