Side chair


1785–1800Unidentified cabinetmakerAmerican, early 19th centurymahogany, secondary woods, and modern reproduction upholstery39 1/4 in. × 20 3/4 in. × 16 5/8 in. (99.77 cm. × 52.78 cm. × 42.23 cm.)

Museum Purchase, Elizabeth B. G. Hamlin Fund,

1974.46

Americans in the early Republic celebrated their new democracy by choosing household furnishings that referenced ancient Greek and Rome. A most popular design was the anthemion, an ornamental floral design with radiating petals resembling a honeysuckle or lotus palmette. It is featured here as the principal ornament of this side chair.

—Laura Fecych Sprague