Images(7)

Corner Cupboard

Date1790-1820

OriginAmerica, Virginia, Southwest or Tennessee, Northeast

MediumBlack walnut, tulip poplar, dark and light wood inlays

DimensionsOH: 7' 10 1/4"; OW: 36 1/2"

Credit LineGift of Preservation Virginia

Object number2025-107

DescriptionOne piece corner cupboard with angled side returns, pitched pediment over two flush flat paneled doors, two side by side drawers, two flat panel lower doors, straight bracket feet and a serpentine skirt; ogee cornice molding over a tympanum inlaid with the initials "R", heart, "W" with a downward facing crescent moon with the face of a man above the heart and a fylfot flanked by four-pointed stars below, all within a lightwood string arch; tympanum divided from doors by an inlaid banding of vertically striped wood of various dimension, possibly intended to represent dentils; The heart and the face of the man within the crescent moon are composed of alternating dark and light wood strips; upper doors have two unequal sized flat panels each with a wide, medial rail between them; lower doors each have a single panel; door panels are outlined with lightwood stringing with incurving corners; proper left doors inlaid with lightwood diamond shaped escutcheons; doors have original iron locks and modern metal catches on proper right doors; tiles flanking upper doors inlaid with a lightwood guilloche emanating from a lightwood vase or urn; lower stiles inlaid with the same lightwood vase or urn holding a striped column or candle with oval striped element at top; waist of cupboard defined by two different geometric inlaid bandings, one above with widely spaces groupings of six light and dark stripes, lower with alternating light and dark stripes, and two side by side drawers divided by a vertical striped element with pointed ends surrounded by a vertical lightwood string oval; drawer outlined with lightwood string with incurved corners; each drawer has an original central oval stamped brass with bail handle with cast "HJ" in center of bail and an inlaid lightwood diamond shaped escutcheon; drawers have original iron locks; drawers flanked by inlaid lightwood handled pitchers; base defined by a tripartite light and darkwood banding; scalloped skirt inlaid in center with pendant half circle of lightwood stringing with two lightwood petals or ovals and darker wood between them; Interior of upper section has two shelves with modern light yellow paint; interior of lower section has one shelf that was added at a later date.

Drawers have standard dovetail construction with chamfered bottom in dados in front and sides and nailed to underside of drawer back.

Wooden pegs used in case construction and pegged mortise and tenon joints. Backboards tongue and groove joined.

Door panels flush with rear as well as front planes.

Woods: black walnut with tulip poplar drawer components and backboards. Shelves and drawer guides appear to be walnut.Mark(s)Brass bail handles marked "HJ" cast into the underside of bail. "R W" inlaid into tympanum of cupboard.ProvenanceDonated to APVA/Preservation Virginia by Mrs. Jane DeJarnette Pollard in 1976; previously owned and collected by Mrs. Pollard’s step-mother Rosamund Berry DeJarnette. Mrs DeJarnette acquired the cupboard from the father of Albert Thompson, a chauffeur once employed by the Berry family. Mrs. DeJarnette found the cupboard in the Thomas home at "Cedar Springs" in Smith County, Virginia.