Herter Brothers
Side Chair

Public Domain

ExpandFavorite

Manufacturer Herter BrothersAmerican, active 1865–1910

CultureAmerican

Titles

Side Chair

Datec. 1877–1878

PlaceNew York, New York, United States

MediumEbonized cherry, maple, satinwood, and gilt; upholstery not original

Dimensions37 3/8 × 17 × 18 1/4 in. (94.9 × 43.2 × 46.4 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Arch and Stella Rowan Foundation, Inc.

Object number93.15

Not on view

Explore Further

Department

Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design

Object Type

FURNITURE

DescriptionBeautifully crafted and perfectly proportioned, this side chair is decorated with a restrained design of inlaid blossoms. The cherrywood frame was ebonized to resemble Japanese lacquer. In contrast to the flamboyance found in much 19th-century design, Japanese-inspired furniture was distinctive for its elegant simplicity. Influenced by Japanese ornament, the Herter Brothers company began producing its own interpretations in the early 1870s. German-born immigrants Gustave and Christian Herter were preeminent among the designers and cabinetmakers who helped nouveau-riche Americans outfit grand residences. The half brothers designed furniture and interiors for the sumptuous homes of Gilded Age clients such as Jay Gould, J. Pierpont Morgan, and William H. Vanderbilt.

Provenance[Margot Johnson Gallery, New York]; purchased by MFAH, 1993.
Exhibition History"HERTER BROTHERS Furniture and Interiors for a Gilded Age," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, August 21–October 23, 1994; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, December 13, 1994–February 12, 1995.

"American Made: 250 Years of American Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, July 7, 2012–January 2, 2013.

"Art Across America," National Museum of Korea, Seoul, Korea, February 4–May 19, 2013; Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, Korea, June 17–September 1, 2013.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

Discover More

Herter Brothers

Side Chair

c. 1881–1882

Maple, gilding, upholstery

94.606

Herter Brothers

Ottoman

c. 1881–1882

Rosewood, marquetry of lighter woods, cedar, brass, leather, upholstery not original

89.111

Léon Marcotte

Side Chair

1869

Ebonized American black cherry and bronze mounts; original upholstery

84.91

Alexander Roux

Card Table

c. 1867–1877

Cherry, boxwood, hairwood, amboyna, ebony, purpleheart, satinwood, mahogany, gilt brass, felt not original

88.17

Léon Marcotte

Lady's Armchair

c. 1875–1880

Bird's-eye maple; upholstery not original

89.244

Daniel Cottier

"Aegyptian" Chair

c. 1875

Ebonized wood, gilding, and upholstery

95.227

Herts Brothers

Side Table

c. 1880

Maple

2003.978

Josef Hoffmann

"Fledermaus" Armchair

c. 1907

Ebonized beech, paint, and vintage upholstery

2013.174

John Linnell

Armchair

c. 1770

Beech, gilding, and upholstery (not original)

87.114

Gibson & Davis

Square Piano

c. 1810–1815

Painted and gilded mahogany, mahogany veneer, satinwood, soft maple, and holly; yellow-poplar, holly, beech, basswood, cherry, soft maple, eastern white pine, hemlock, mahogany, and ash

B.57.4

Unknown American

Settee

c. 1850–1860

Oak, pine, and leather; new cover over original upholstery

90.553

Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann

Three "Fauteuil Ducharne" Armchairs

c. 1925–1927

Veneered wood and bronze; upholstery not original

2016.331.1-.3