Lot Essay
"The great utility of this piece of furniture has procured it a very general reception; and the conveniences it affords render a dining room incomplete without a sideboard" (George Hepplewhite, The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide, (New York, Dover rpt., 1969), p. 6. These sentiments were taken to heart by those who entertained and desired the most fashionable surroundings and furnishings. The Federal sideboard signified the ritual of formal dining and the need for specialized furniture to fulfill the new enthusiasm for such gala events.
The sideboard was an integral part of any properly outfitted dining room. Designed with compartments to serve a variety of needs, cases were fashioned with bottle drawers, as in this example, baize-lined drawers for flatware, or lead-inlined drawers "for the convenience of holding water to wash glasses." (Hepplewhite, p. 6).
The purpose of sideboards, however, was not only to serve as storage, but also for display. As the dining table was laid with the dinner service, the sideboard was reserved for the dessert flatware, which if properly placed, was artfully arranged in crescents with glassware in concentric circles. This allowed for the showy display of fine silver and expensive glasses. See Louise Conway Belden, The Festive Tradition, (New York, 1983), pp. 1-40.
This sideboard relates to examples attributed to the cabinetshop of John and Thomas Seymour (Vernon C. Stoneman, John and Thomas Seymour, (Boston, 1959), pl. 106; American Antiques from Israel Sack Collection, vol. 1, p. 92, no. 279). A feature not common on other examples is the notched crown above the turned legs that give height and added elegance to this example.
The sideboard was an integral part of any properly outfitted dining room. Designed with compartments to serve a variety of needs, cases were fashioned with bottle drawers, as in this example, baize-lined drawers for flatware, or lead-inlined drawers "for the convenience of holding water to wash glasses." (Hepplewhite, p. 6).
The purpose of sideboards, however, was not only to serve as storage, but also for display. As the dining table was laid with the dinner service, the sideboard was reserved for the dessert flatware, which if properly placed, was artfully arranged in crescents with glassware in concentric circles. This allowed for the showy display of fine silver and expensive glasses. See Louise Conway Belden, The Festive Tradition, (New York, 1983), pp. 1-40.
This sideboard relates to examples attributed to the cabinetshop of John and Thomas Seymour (Vernon C. Stoneman, John and Thomas Seymour, (Boston, 1959), pl. 106; American Antiques from Israel Sack Collection, vol. 1, p. 92, no. 279). A feature not common on other examples is the notched crown above the turned legs that give height and added elegance to this example.