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Tambour desk
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Lady's writing table with tambour shutters
Tambour desk
John Seymour (American (born in England), 1738–1818)
Thomas Seymour (American (born in England), 1771–1848)
Thomas Seymour (American (born in England), 1771–1848)
1793–96
Object Place: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Medium/Technique
Satinwood and curly satinwood veneer, eastern white pine, black ash, black walnut, cedar, cherry, light- and dark-wood inlays, brass
Dimensions
128.27 x 101.6 x 53.34 cm (50 1/2 x 40 x 21 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase with funds donated anonymously, Henry H. and Zoe Oliver Sherman Fund, and by exchange from the Bequest of George Nixon Black, Bequest of Mrs. Charles R. Codman, and Gift of Mrs. Ruth K. Richardson
Accession Number2000.636
CollectionsAmericas
ClassificationsFurniture – Case furniture and boxes
Few pieces made by the Seymours are marked, labeled, or otherwise signed. This desk retains its original paper label (on the the backboard), giving the name of the firm and advertising its location on Creek Square, in Boston. Today, this object usually is called a tambour desk because of its use of tambour doors enclosing the interior in the upper case. These doors consist of vertical strips of satinwood glued to a linen backcloth; each shutter slides in a groove that runs across the front, sides, and part of the back of the upper case. When open, the tambour doors reveal twelve small drawers and six pigeonholes.
DescriptionTall desk of tambour form, recessed upper section enclosed by sliding tambour doors, flanked by inlaid pilasters, which open to reveal on each side three pigeonholes with Gothic arches and blue-green paint above tier of small drawers fitted with ring pulls; lower case contains folding writing section above three graduated drawers; tapered legs with scrolled knee brackets terminate in spade feet; brasses replaced
InscriptionsPaper label on back reads: "JOHN SEYMOUR & SON, / CABINET MAKERS, / CREEK SQUARE / BOSTON"
Paper owner's lable of George Alfred Cluett Jr. is pasted to the interior of a lower-case drawer.
In pencil: pairs of numbers in the interior corners of upper-case drawers.
Paper owner's lable of George Alfred Cluett Jr. is pasted to the interior of a lower-case drawer.
In pencil: pairs of numbers in the interior corners of upper-case drawers.
ProvenanceOriginal owner unknown; in collection of Francis Hill Bigelow, Cambridge, Mass., by 1925; sold in that year to George A. Cluett; descended in the Cluett family to Mark Cluett; on loan to Historic Deerfield, about 1964-74; from the family to the dealer; by sale to the Museum, 2000 (Accession date June 21, 2000)