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Lot Essay
Very few Federal desk-and-bookcases with cylinder lids survive; this example demonstrates a refinement of proportions that distinguish it from other surviving secretaries. This desk-and-bookcase achieves an elegant presence by the design of the lower case, which features a drawer configuration comprising two short drawers over a single long drawer; most surviving desk-and-bookcases feature two long drawers and much shorter legs. By omitting the second long drawer and retaining the characteristic overall height, the cabinetmaker has created a masterful overall design in which the tall reeded legs are proportionately longer and contribute to its visual success.
Several related examples are attributed to the workshops of John and Thomas Seymour; of these, a virtually identical desk-and-bookcase is illustrated in Vernon C. Stoneman, John and Thomas Seymour, Cabinetmakers in Boston 1794-1816 (Boston, 1959), pp. 130-131, pl. 64. Others include one in the Atlanta State House and illustrated in Israel Sack, American Antiques from Israel Sack Collection (New York) vol. II, p. 358; one in the collection of Historic Deerfield and illustrated in Dean A. Fales, Jr., The Furniture of Historic Deerfield (New York, 1976), p. 244, fig. no. 482.
Robert Mussey's recent publication on the work of John and Thomas Seymour identifies numerous construction methods as peculiar to their shop and a strong basis for attribution. Several methods employed in the construction of this desk-and-bookcase follow those associated with the work of John and Thomas Seymour. These include the use of small, finely crafted dovetails joining the drawer fronts and drawer backs to the drawer sides, bottom boards running side to side, the presence of small glue blocks spaced evenly behind the drawer fronts and tightly spaced long glue blocks securing the drawer sides and drawer bottoms. Other decorative elements include the use of "robin's-egg" blue paint for the desk interior, the C-scroll returns and turned bosses at the tops of the legs.
Several related examples are attributed to the workshops of John and Thomas Seymour; of these, a virtually identical desk-and-bookcase is illustrated in Vernon C. Stoneman, John and Thomas Seymour, Cabinetmakers in Boston 1794-1816 (Boston, 1959), pp. 130-131, pl. 64. Others include one in the Atlanta State House and illustrated in Israel Sack, American Antiques from Israel Sack Collection (New York) vol. II, p. 358; one in the collection of Historic Deerfield and illustrated in Dean A. Fales, Jr., The Furniture of Historic Deerfield (New York, 1976), p. 244, fig. no. 482.
Robert Mussey's recent publication on the work of John and Thomas Seymour identifies numerous construction methods as peculiar to their shop and a strong basis for attribution. Several methods employed in the construction of this desk-and-bookcase follow those associated with the work of John and Thomas Seymour. These include the use of small, finely crafted dovetails joining the drawer fronts and drawer backs to the drawer sides, bottom boards running side to side, the presence of small glue blocks spaced evenly behind the drawer fronts and tightly spaced long glue blocks securing the drawer sides and drawer bottoms. Other decorative elements include the use of "robin's-egg" blue paint for the desk interior, the C-scroll returns and turned bosses at the tops of the legs.