ATTRIBUTED TO J. AND J.W. MEEKS (1836-1859), NEW YORK, 1840-1860

With its crest centered by a pair of large flowers and flanked by open scrollwork carved with foliage and clusters of grapes, this meridienne is an iconic example of furniture manufactured by J. and J.W. Meeks in New York in last quarter of the 19th century. Carved in the Hawkins pattern, these decorative elements derive from a suite of furniture given by Joseph W. Meeks to his daughter, Sophia Theresa, upon her marriage to Dexter Hawkins in 1859. Meridiennes carved in the Hawkins pattern are exceedingly rare. A similar example, originally owned by President Abraham Lincoln, can be found in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.