Herter Brothers
Side Chair

Public Domain

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Manufacturer Herter Brothers(American, active 1865–1910)American, 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

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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.

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