An Important Federal Inlaid and Satinwood-Veneered Writing Desk, Attributed to Thomas and/or John Seymour, Boston, Massachusetts

Feet reduced 3/4 of an inch in height; several knee returns replaced

Judge Henry T. Lummus, former Justice of Massachusetts Supreme Court
Charles Woolsey Lyon, New York
Mrs. Arthur Virgin, North Hatley, Ontario and New York
Christie's, January 23, 1982, lot 347

Robert D. Mussey, Jr., The Furniture Masterworks of John & Thomas Seymour. (Salem, MA: Peabody Essex Museum, 2003) cat. 6, pp. 146-7.

Rear legs have been broken and repaired with patches; both rear leg were secured to sides with later l-bracket that have since been removed; patches on these legs cover up old screw holes; proper right front leg also was broken and was repaired with patches; Patch adjant to looper replaced approximately 3-1/2 by 1/2 in. size; scrinkage cracks filled on both proper left and right sides; white pine secondary woods.
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.

A sophisticated example of Federal aesthetic in Boston, this tambour secretary is extraordinary for its vibrantly-figured curly-satinwood veneers, which cover nearly all of its visible surfaces. It is virtually identical to a tambour secretary at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston bearing the label of John (1738-1818) and Thomas Seymour (1771-1848).¹ The two secretaries appear to have been made as a pair since they display the same overall configuration, veneering cut from the same flitch of satinwood, combination of woods, construction, and exceptional craftsmanship. They were most likely made soon after John and Thomas Seymour arrived in Boston in 1793 as testament to the high quality of their work and evidence of their ambition to introduce high-style English neoclassical taste to Boston.

Both secretaries display artistic and balanced veneering that was executed in a manner consistent with English practice, in which the curl of the satinwood was set on the diagonal, alternating right to left on symmetrically opposing surfaces.  Veneering of this type characterizes much of the Seymour's work and they executed many variations on the theme to create visual interest on their furniture forms. The Seymour's used other decorative devices to enhance this secretary and its mate such as the black/white stringing and crossbanding patterns unique to their shop utilized here as visual separations, the carved knee brackets derived from classical anthemion, and simple therm feet with molded upper edges to relieve the blocky appearance of the lower case and legs. The extensive use of ash and cedar as secondary woods suggests a very early date of manufacture, circa 1793-96, when the Seymour's were still producing work heavily influenced by English practice at their Creek Square shop.

The present secretary lacks a Seymour label and displays therm feet that have been cut down five-eighths of an inch from their original height but is otherwise identical to the secretary at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The vertically aligned pairs of holes in the drawer fronts indicate that the secretary originally featured round enameled or brass neoclassical English hardware with associated ring pulls. It retains its original blue paint in the letter holes, ivory key-escutcheons, and small custom brass finger pulls on the doors. The latter two features are also found on the secretary at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, further underscoring the fact that these superb secretaries were made as a pair. With their expensive materials and refined craftsmanship, they no doubt represented the height of fashion in Federal Boston.

¹See Robert D. Mussey, The Furniture Masterworks of John & Thomas Seymour, Salem, 2003, cat. #5, pp. 144-5.