Defining the characteristics of Maryland furniture presents a scholarly challenge because of the difficulty in distinguishing it from Philadelphia work. While in Annapolis English-born craftsmen and imports dominated, in Baltimore the influence of Philadelphians is more readily discernible. Two of Baltimore’s principal cabinetmakers, Robert Moore (1723–1787) and Gerrard Hopkins (1742–1800), had previously worked in Philadelphia. The Bayou Bend dressing table is reminiscent of Philadelphia examples, yet its pendant shell suspended from an inverted bellflower is similar to one on a high chest assigned to Maryland.

Related examples: This dressing table is closely related to a high chest in Elder and Stokes 1987, pp. 74–76, no. 50. Another high chest possesses the same configuration of elements, appearing to be virtually identical, and perhaps was made en suite with the dressing table (Parke-Bernet, sale 2510, January 28, 1967, lot 101).

Book excerpt: Warren, David B., Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.