Lot 1573
  • 1573

VERY FINE AND RARE FEDERAL INLAID AND FIGURED MAHOGANY TAMBOUR ROLL-TOP DESK-AND-BOOKCASE, ATTRIBUTED TO THE STOP OF JOHN AND THOMAS SEYMOUR, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, CIRCA 1810 |

Estimate
150,000 - 180,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Height 83 1/2 in. by Width 35 in. by Depth 22 in.
appears to retain its original hardware, baize writing surface, interior robin's egg blue paint to the pigeonholes.

Provenance

Philip Flayderman, Boston, Massachusetts;
Christie's New York, Property from the Collection of Mrs. J. Insley Blair, January 21, 2006, sale 1618, lot 591.

Condition

Overall find condition. Wear, scuffs and age splits commensurate with age and use. All but one knee return has been lost of damaged, the only one that is left mostly in tact is the proper front right knee return which has a 1/2" loss to the upper exterior point. The baize surface show discoloration consistent with exposure to light, as well as wear consistent with use. Secondary woods: Pine, mahogany, ash or oak
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

Very few Federal desk-and-bookcases with cylinder lids survive; this example demonstrates a refinement of proportions that distinguish it from other surviving secretaries. This desk-and-bookcase achieves an elegant presence by the design of the lower case, which features a drawer configuration comprising two short drawers over a single long drawer; most surviving desk-and-bookcases feature two long drawers and much shorter legs. By omitting the second long drawer and retaining the characteristic overall height, the cabinetmaker has created a masterful overall design in which the tall reeded legs are proportionately longer and contribute to its visual success. Robert Mussey's The Furniture Masterworks of John and Thomas Seymour (Salem, Massachusetts: Peabody Essex Museum, 2003), identifies numerous construction methods as specific to their shop and a cause for attribution. This desk-and-bookcase exhibits a number of methods that are associated with the work of the Seymours.  These include the use of small, finely crafted dovetails joining the drawer fronts and drawer backs to the drawer sides, the bottom boards running side to side, the presence of small glue blocks spaced evenly behind the drawer fronts and tightly spaced long glue blocks securing the drawer sides and drawer bottoms. Other decorative elements include the use of "robin's-egg" blue paint for the desk interior, the C-scroll returns and turned bosses at the tops of the legs.

There are a few related examples that are attributed to the workshops of John and Thomas Seymour; of these, a virtually identical desk-and-bookcase is illustrated in Vernon C. Stoneman, John and Thomas Seymour, Cabinetmakers in Boston 1794-1816 (Boston, 1959), pp. 130-131, pl. 64. Others include one in the Atlanta State House and is illustrated in Israel Sack, American Antiques from Israel Sack Collection, vol. II (New York), p. 358; one in the collection of Historic Deerfield and is illustrated in Dean A. Fales, Jr., The Furniture of Historic Deerfield (New York, 1976), p. 244, fig. no. 482.