拍品專文
With its triple-peaked sweeping crestrail, gadrooned and robustly reeded embellishments, and tablet punctuated seatrail, this sofa is typical of Boston seating forms made between 1810 and 1835. In addition, the drapery-carved rosette supports of the crestrail tie this sofa directly to a specific tradition of Anglo-inspired Classical furniture particularly popular in Boston during this same period. Made for the Salisbury Family of Boston between 1820 and 1830, this sofa is also a quintessential example of an individual taste and regional stylistic preferences.
The Salisbury Family was one of Boston's principle merchant and banking families from the third-quarter of the 18th century through the mid-19th century. The Salisbury Mansion, built in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1772, was occupied by the family until 1851. Its three principle renovations were in 1814, 1818/1820 and 1829. It was during the second of these renovations that a large order of furniture from the fashionable Boston firm of Isaaac Vose & Son was purchased for the house. On 23 July 1820, Abby Salisbury wrote to her aunt, Elizabeth Tuckerman Salisbury, regarding the furniture from Vose, the following:
...Vose is much pleased with his own success in the side table and card tables. He says they are much admired. We think they are very rich and handsome and the sofas being of the same style of work and not varnished will correspond exceedingly well...
The pair of card tables alluded to in Abby's letter are presently in the collection of the Worcester Art Museum and are illustrated above. Their identically carved and highly idiosyncratic fully round eagle's head feet conclusively link the Salisbury card tables to the sofa illustrated here.
Christie's gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Page Talbott in the preparation of this note.
The Salisbury Family was one of Boston's principle merchant and banking families from the third-quarter of the 18th century through the mid-19th century. The Salisbury Mansion, built in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1772, was occupied by the family until 1851. Its three principle renovations were in 1814, 1818/1820 and 1829. It was during the second of these renovations that a large order of furniture from the fashionable Boston firm of Isaaac Vose & Son was purchased for the house. On 23 July 1820, Abby Salisbury wrote to her aunt, Elizabeth Tuckerman Salisbury, regarding the furniture from Vose, the following:
...Vose is much pleased with his own success in the side table and card tables. He says they are much admired. We think they are very rich and handsome and the sofas being of the same style of work and not varnished will correspond exceedingly well...
The pair of card tables alluded to in Abby's letter are presently in the collection of the Worcester Art Museum and are illustrated above. Their identically carved and highly idiosyncratic fully round eagle's head feet conclusively link the Salisbury card tables to the sofa illustrated here.
Christie's gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Page Talbott in the preparation of this note.