Images(3)

Cupboard

Date1750-1770

OriginAmerica, Mid-Atlantic or Southeast

MediumBlack walnut and tulip poplar

DimensionsOH: 29 1/4", OW: 21 3/4", OD: 10 1/8"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1939-77

DescriptionAppearance: Rectangular cupboard framed by strips of ogee molding. Center door with single fielded panel which swings on iron butterfly hinges to reveal an interior divided into eight compartments one of which is fitted with a drawer.

Construction: The top and bottom are dovetailed to the sides with several of the dovetails wedged. The stiles are lap-joined, through-tenoned and through double-pegged to the rails. The stiles and rails have an integral mitered scratch bead on the inner edge. The mitered ogee molding is probably glued to the outer edge of the stiles and rails, and that assembly is face-pegged from the molding, through the stiles and rails, into the leading edge of the top, sides and bottom (three pegs in each stile and rail).

The two vertical butt-joined back boards are rabbeted on the top and outer edges to rest in dados in the top and sides, and pegged to the edge of the bottom (reinforced with additional later nails).
The three shelves are set in dados in the sides. The compartment dividers rest in dados in the shelves and top. The dado slots in the sides and top are not at a perfect 90 degree angle and may form sliding dovetails or half-dovetails, however there is no evidence of dovetails on the shelves or dividers themselves. The facing edges of the shelves and dividers are double beaded.

The compartment drawer sides are half blind dovetailed to the front and dovetailed to the back, some of the rear dovetails are wedged. The bottom is rabbeted to fit into dados in the front and sides, with a peg from the under edge of the front securing the rabbited front edge of the bottom. Three pegs secure the bottom to the edge of the back.

A wooden spring lock (original but broken) is pegged into a relieved area of the drawer bottom. A corresponding relieved area and finger hole in the floor of the drawer compartment accommodates the lock and provides access to it.

The rails of the raised panel door are shouldered, through-tenoned and through double-pegged to the stiles. An integral quarter molding on the interior edge of the rails and stiles is cope-joined. The raised panel is set in dados in the stiles and rails. Butterfly hinges are nailed with wrought nails.

The cupboard is entirely walnut, inside and out, except for the back which is tulip poplar.
Mark(s)None found