Images(2)

Washstand

Dateca. 1810

OriginAmerica, Virginia

MediumWalnut, dark and lightwood inlays, and yellow pine

DimensionsOH: 40 1/4"; OW: 21 1/2"; OD: 15"

Credit LineGift of William Goode Beville

Object number2018-173

DescriptionAppearance:
Corner washstand, triangular in shape with bowed front; top has one large hole for a basin and two smaller holes flanking it for soap cups (missing); shaped backsplash (replaced) on two rear facing sides; front of top shelf overhangs skirt and is inlaid on edge with two strings of lightwood; skirt inlaid with three rectangular burl veneer reserves outlined in lightwood stringing; lower edge of skirt has tripartite light, dark, light banding that extends across the front face of the side legs; lower shelf skirt sectioned as on the upper shelf but with a drawer with a pendant ring pull in place of the central reserve; three legs connecting top and lower shelves are square in cross section and taper towards the floor; fourth front leg supports only the lower shelf; all legs inlaid with lightwood stringing to the floor and banded above the foot with wide dark inlaid band; all four legs connected by cross stretchers that meet in the center at a round shelf.

Construction:
Top shelf - rear faces and horizontally laminated bowed front are tenoned into side and rear legs; top shelf rests on top of rails and is held in place with segmented glue blocks glued to the underside of the top and the rails; backsplash is dovetailed at the rear corner and rabbeted along the bottom edge to fit over edge of top and nailed to same from rear faces.

second shelf - rear face rails tenoned to rear and side legs; 2 partial bottom boards lapped together and double tenoned into side legs; vertical dividers in dados in underside of top and top of bottom board; facades of skirt may be glued or nailed in place (construction not visible); front leg double tenoned through bottom board; top nailed and glued to rails with segmented glue blocks; drawer guides (one replaced, one missing) nailed to underside of top; drawer stop (replaced) nailed to ditto.

Stretchers are tenoned into legs and lapped across center.

Drawer has typical dovetail construction with a front to back oriented bottom board in dados in front and sides and nailed to underside of back.
ProvenanceOwner purchased from Sumpter Priddy, Inc.