Unknown American
Sideboard

Sideboard

Public Domain

Sideboard
Artist
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Sideboard
Datec. 1855
PlaceMiddle Atlantic, possibly New York, United States
MediumAmerican tulipwood, northeast white pine, black walnut, and marble
Dimensions106 × 69 × 28 inches

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Anaruth and Aron S. Gordon
Object number83.46
Current Location
The Audrey Jones Beck Building
108 Hevrdejs Gallery
On view

Explore Further

Department
Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
Object Type
DescriptionSideboards such as this one graced the dining rooms of wealthy families in the 1800s and were also exhibited at world's fairs. Cabinetmakers often created grand objects for international expositions as a means of demonstrating their craft skills in dramatic fashion. It is densely carved with lifelike depictions of fish and game--an homage to the bounty of the American landscape. The bottom of this sideboard is laid out in three parts, all carved in walnut. The left door depicts lobsters, fish, and eel; the right is decorated with game birds; and the central panel features the gun, pouch, bugle, and powder horn associated with the hunt. The magnificent captured stag hanging over it all acts as a centerpiece.

Provenance[Peter Hill, Inc., East Lempster, New Hampshire]; purchased by MFAH, 1983.
Exhibition History"American Made: 250 Years of American Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 7 July 2012 - 2 January 2013.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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Commode
Unknown English
Commode
c. 1770
Walnut veneer; marquetry of tulipwood, elm, rosewood, and calamander; secondary woods: mahogany, red pine group, spruce, white oak group; and ormolu
96.1238
Lounge Chair Rocker with Free-Form Arm, Right
George Nakashima
Lounge Chair Rocker with Free-Form Arm, Right
1973
American black walnut, rosewood, and hickory
2015.9
Desk
Unknown American
Desk
c. 1700–1730
Black walnut, undetermined burl veneer, and eastern white pine; eastern white pine, black walnut, yellow-poplar, cherry, Cuban oyster wood (Gymnanthes lucida), and chestnut
B.69.42
Image Not Available for Commode
Pierre Roussel
Commode
c. 1750
Tulipwood and other woods, gilt bronze and marble
2021.363
Étagère
John Henry Belter
Étagère
1855
Rosewood and rosewood veneer; black walnut, mahogany, eastern white pine, yellow-poplar, undetermined exotic wood (possibly eucalyptus), marble, and mirrored glass
B.81.9.10
scan from file photograph
Unknown American
Desk-on-Frame
c. 1730–1800
Black walnut; yellow-poplar, red oak, Atlantic white cedar, chestnut, eastern white pine, and black walnut
B.61.82
High Chest of Drawers
Unknown American
High Chest of Drawers
c. 1750–1780
Black-mangrove; black cherry, Atlantic white cedar, black walnut, yelow-poplar, and eastern white pine
B.69.64
scan from file photograph
Unknown American
Dressing Table
c. 1760–1800
Black walnut; red gum, Atlantic white cedar, yellow-poplar, southern yellow pine, and eastern white pine
B.69.527
Card Table
Unknown American
Card Table
c. 1820–1830
Grained, painted, and gilded mahogany, and birch; mahogany veneer on eastern white pine with black walnut banding, ash, eastern white pine, cherry, and original brass casters
B.68.31
Dressing or Toilet Table
Unknown American
Dressing or Toilet Table
c. 1700–1725
Black walnut, walnut veneer, and aspen; eastern white pine
B.69.45
High Chest
Unknown American
High Chest
c. 1700–1725
Black walnut, burled walnut veneer, soft maple, and aspen; eastern white pine, hemlock, and birch
B.69.43
Side Chair
Léon Marcotte
Side Chair
1869
Ebonized American black cherry and bronze mounts; original upholstery
84.91