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Lot Essay
Monumental in scale and exquisite in detail, this desk-and-bookcase illustrates the refined and accomplished craftsmanship produced in the shop of John Shaw (1745-1829), Annapolis' leading cabinetmaker of the late eighteenth century. One of several desk-and-bookcases labeled by or attributed to Shaw, this example displays several design and construction features that clearly indicate the work of his shop. Within the group, the pierced pediment is virtually identical; most have a desk interior with a layout closely related to that on the Blair Collection desk, with a row of pigeon holes and two rows of short drawers, column-inlaid document drawers and a prospect door with inlaid arched surround with three keystones (fig. 1). Furthermore, three others in the group have the same distinctive swelled ogee bracket feet, which are supported by laminated blocks. Aside from one dating to circa 1780, all the others are attributed to the last decade of the eighteenth century, with one dated 1797 and another reputedly documented by a bill of sale to the same year (figs. 1-3; see below).
As explored by Alexander Lourie, the close similaries among these desk-and-bookcases indicate the use of standardized designs that could have been executed by journeyman and apprentices following patterns or templates created by the master cabinetmaker. Minor variations, however, are evident and suggest that to a certain degree, some of these workmen displayed their individual craftsmanship. One of the more prominent members of Shaw's shop was William Tuck (c.1774-1813), who in five known instances inscribed his initials on Shaw's label, indicating he had a large role in the production of each piece. His initials appear on the labels of the desk-and-bookcase in fig. 2 and the 1796 demilune card table discussed below. As both of these items display close similarities to the Blair Collection desk, it is entirely possible that it was crafted largely by Tuck while he was working in Shaw's shop, from 1795 to 1797 (Alexander Lourie, forthcoming article, American Furniture 2006, Luke Beckerdite, ed.).
The Blair Collection desk is the only one of the group to feature a fall-front desk lid. Reflecting Shaw's conservative style, all the others have slant-front lids, which along with the broken-swan's neck pediments and ogee bracket feet are elements of Chippendale-era design and would have been slightly out-of-date for stylish forms in the 1790s. Shaw's use of a fall-front lid in this case demonstrates an awareness of the latest fashion for a "secretary drawer." For forms with this feature, as noted by George Hepplewhite in his 1794 The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide, "accommodations therefore for writing are produced by the face of the upper drawer falling down by means of a spring and quadrant, which produces the same usefulness as the flap to a desk" (cited in William Voss Elder III and Lu Bartlett, John Shaw: Cabinetmaker of Annapolis (Baltimore, 1983), p. 109). Shaw is known to have made only one other form with a secretary drawer-a chest of drawers labeled by Shaw and dated 1796 (Elder and Bartlett, cat. 36, pp. 108-110). Like the Blair Collection desk, this chest has two upper false-front drawers that serve as the desk lid and when this lid is closed, appears to contain five graduated long drawers.
With an array of inlaid details and a cornice embellished with dentils and Gothic arches, the Blair Collection desk is among the more elaborate of the group. Comprising floral rosettes, circular fans, a conch shell and an eagle, several superbly cut inlaid reserves adorn the desk's pediment, cornice and prospect door. The eagle is seen only on one other in the group (fig. 3) and a similar design appears on a demilune card table labeled by Shaw and dated 1796 (Elder and Bartlett, cat. 37, pp. 111-112). The Blair Collection desk is distinguished by the presence of inlay wrapping around the corners of the cornice frieze and running along the curve of the urn finial, areas that with their contours made it difficult to apply inlaid decoration. Furthermore, the finial inlay, comprising three vertical bars with lightwood stringing, simulates a triglyph motif and is repeated along the cornice frieze as well as on the document drawers.
Born in Scotland, John Shaw (1745-1829) is thought to have arrived in Annapolis in about 1763. As a young man of eighteen, it is likely that he received some of his training in his native land, possibly under his father, a carpenter. He is first recorded as a cabinetmaker in Annapolis in 1770 and soon after he formed a partnership with Archibald Chisholm, a fellow Scottish-born cabinetmaker. The partnership dissolved upon the outbreak of the Revolution, though it resumed briefly in 1783, probably due to Shaw's losses in a recent fire. He was an ardent patriot and, in addition to serving as a second lieutenant and later sergeant-major during the Revolutionary War, was in charge of ammunitions supply as the State Armorer. Through diverse business pursuits and numerous commissions from the State, Shaw prospered financially and held a position of high social standing. When Washington resigned as Commander-in-Chief in Annapolis in 1783, Shaw orchestrated the celebrations and after the War. His clients included Annapolis' leading citizens, such as Edward Lloyd IV and his son, James Brice, and, when the Continental Congress convened in Annapolis in 1784, Thomas Jefferson (Elder and Bartlett, pp. 13-25; Rosamund Randall Beirne, "John Shaw, cabinetmaker," The Magazine Antiques (December 1960), pp. 554-558; Lu Bartlett, "John Shaw, cabinetmaker of Annapolis," The Magazine Antiques (February 1977), pp. 362-377).
Other desk-and-bookcases labeled or attributed to John Shaw include: A desk labeled and dated 1797 at the White House (fig. 2; Elder and Bartlett, cat. 40; Betty C. Monkman, Treasures of the White House (Abbeville Press, 2001), pp. 244, 305-306); a labeled desk on loan to the Hammond-Harwood House, Annapolis, MD (Elder and Bartlett, cat. 49); an attributed desk at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (fig 3; Southern Perspective: A Sampling from the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (Winston-Salem, NC: Old Salem, Inc.), pp. 2-3); an attributed desk (Beirne, p. 557, figs. 9, 10); a desk with cupboard base and tall French feet that was noted to be documented by a bill of sale (now lost) from John Shaw dated 1797 (Elder and Bartlett, cat. 51); and an attributed desk of an earlier form lacking a swan's neck pediment and inlaid decoration (Elder and Bartlett, cat. 9).
As explored by Alexander Lourie, the close similaries among these desk-and-bookcases indicate the use of standardized designs that could have been executed by journeyman and apprentices following patterns or templates created by the master cabinetmaker. Minor variations, however, are evident and suggest that to a certain degree, some of these workmen displayed their individual craftsmanship. One of the more prominent members of Shaw's shop was William Tuck (c.1774-1813), who in five known instances inscribed his initials on Shaw's label, indicating he had a large role in the production of each piece. His initials appear on the labels of the desk-and-bookcase in fig. 2 and the 1796 demilune card table discussed below. As both of these items display close similarities to the Blair Collection desk, it is entirely possible that it was crafted largely by Tuck while he was working in Shaw's shop, from 1795 to 1797 (Alexander Lourie, forthcoming article, American Furniture 2006, Luke Beckerdite, ed.).
The Blair Collection desk is the only one of the group to feature a fall-front desk lid. Reflecting Shaw's conservative style, all the others have slant-front lids, which along with the broken-swan's neck pediments and ogee bracket feet are elements of Chippendale-era design and would have been slightly out-of-date for stylish forms in the 1790s. Shaw's use of a fall-front lid in this case demonstrates an awareness of the latest fashion for a "secretary drawer." For forms with this feature, as noted by George Hepplewhite in his 1794 The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide, "accommodations therefore for writing are produced by the face of the upper drawer falling down by means of a spring and quadrant, which produces the same usefulness as the flap to a desk" (cited in William Voss Elder III and Lu Bartlett, John Shaw: Cabinetmaker of Annapolis (Baltimore, 1983), p. 109). Shaw is known to have made only one other form with a secretary drawer-a chest of drawers labeled by Shaw and dated 1796 (Elder and Bartlett, cat. 36, pp. 108-110). Like the Blair Collection desk, this chest has two upper false-front drawers that serve as the desk lid and when this lid is closed, appears to contain five graduated long drawers.
With an array of inlaid details and a cornice embellished with dentils and Gothic arches, the Blair Collection desk is among the more elaborate of the group. Comprising floral rosettes, circular fans, a conch shell and an eagle, several superbly cut inlaid reserves adorn the desk's pediment, cornice and prospect door. The eagle is seen only on one other in the group (fig. 3) and a similar design appears on a demilune card table labeled by Shaw and dated 1796 (Elder and Bartlett, cat. 37, pp. 111-112). The Blair Collection desk is distinguished by the presence of inlay wrapping around the corners of the cornice frieze and running along the curve of the urn finial, areas that with their contours made it difficult to apply inlaid decoration. Furthermore, the finial inlay, comprising three vertical bars with lightwood stringing, simulates a triglyph motif and is repeated along the cornice frieze as well as on the document drawers.
Born in Scotland, John Shaw (1745-1829) is thought to have arrived in Annapolis in about 1763. As a young man of eighteen, it is likely that he received some of his training in his native land, possibly under his father, a carpenter. He is first recorded as a cabinetmaker in Annapolis in 1770 and soon after he formed a partnership with Archibald Chisholm, a fellow Scottish-born cabinetmaker. The partnership dissolved upon the outbreak of the Revolution, though it resumed briefly in 1783, probably due to Shaw's losses in a recent fire. He was an ardent patriot and, in addition to serving as a second lieutenant and later sergeant-major during the Revolutionary War, was in charge of ammunitions supply as the State Armorer. Through diverse business pursuits and numerous commissions from the State, Shaw prospered financially and held a position of high social standing. When Washington resigned as Commander-in-Chief in Annapolis in 1783, Shaw orchestrated the celebrations and after the War. His clients included Annapolis' leading citizens, such as Edward Lloyd IV and his son, James Brice, and, when the Continental Congress convened in Annapolis in 1784, Thomas Jefferson (Elder and Bartlett, pp. 13-25; Rosamund Randall Beirne, "John Shaw, cabinetmaker," The Magazine Antiques (December 1960), pp. 554-558; Lu Bartlett, "John Shaw, cabinetmaker of Annapolis," The Magazine Antiques (February 1977), pp. 362-377).
Other desk-and-bookcases labeled or attributed to John Shaw include: A desk labeled and dated 1797 at the White House (fig. 2; Elder and Bartlett, cat. 40; Betty C. Monkman, Treasures of the White House (Abbeville Press, 2001), pp. 244, 305-306); a labeled desk on loan to the Hammond-Harwood House, Annapolis, MD (Elder and Bartlett, cat. 49); an attributed desk at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (fig 3; Southern Perspective: A Sampling from the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (Winston-Salem, NC: Old Salem, Inc.), pp. 2-3); an attributed desk (Beirne, p. 557, figs. 9, 10); a desk with cupboard base and tall French feet that was noted to be documented by a bill of sale (now lost) from John Shaw dated 1797 (Elder and Bartlett, cat. 51); and an attributed desk of an earlier form lacking a swan's neck pediment and inlaid decoration (Elder and Bartlett, cat. 9).