Desk, Tambour

Furniture

Historic Charleston Foundation

Name/Title

Desk, Tambour

Entry/Object ID

2002.001.001

Description

Tambour desk

Context

The desk is composed of a lower case containing two drawers and an upper case with a central prospect door flanked by a pair of tambour sliding doors behind which are a pair of drawers over a pair of pigeon holes with a scalloped detail at the top. All is supported by four tapered legs, embellished with stringing, graduated bellflowers and ebony ovals, terminating in inlaid cuffs. The central door, which is embellished with lightwood string inlay in an ovolo pattern, conceals a single drawer outlined with stringing, over two pigeonholes having a scalloped top detail and bottoms lined with green leather which appears not to be original. The small drawers behind the tambour also have outline stringing. The prospect door has a brass escutcheon and the drawers small brass knobs. The drawers of the lower case are embellished with ovolo stringing and an inlaid oval satinwood escutcheon. The drawers have cockbeading to protect the veneer. The drawer blades are cross-banded. The lower edge of the case is detailed with a double row of string, continuing across the front of the front legs to visually separate the case from the legs. A hinged writing surface covered with green tooled leather folds out and is supported by a pair of lopers on either side. The front edge is supported by a wood molding with chamfered corners which, when open, rests on the lopers. When closed, the chamfered corners articulate with like molding at the bottom sides of the upper case. The upper case is bordered on either side by pilasters inlaid with triple stringing and the prospect door is enhanced by the same lightwood stringing on either side of the frame. The case is finished with a plain frieze and concave molding topped by a thin single board top. Brass hardware is replaced but appropriate to the period.

Collection

Historic Charleston Foundation Collection

Acquisition

Accession

2002.001.

Source or Donor

Purchase - Various

Acquisition Method

Purchased

Credit Line

Museum Acquisition Fund

Furniture Details

Furniture Type

Desk

Furniture Style

Federal

Made/Created

Artist

Sanderson, Elijah

Date made

circa 1805

Time Period

Federal

Place

Location

Salem, Massachusetts

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Makers Mark

Location

backboard of the lower case

Transcription

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Desk, Tambour

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Desk

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Storage & Display Furniture

Nomenclature Class

Furniture

Nomenclature Category

Category 02: Furnishings

Other Names and Numbers

Other Numbers

Number Type

Old Number

Other Number

2002.1.1

Dimensions

Height

47-1/2 in

Width

37 in

Depth

20-1/2 in

Dimension Notes

depth with writing surface open: 28.25

Material

Mahogany

Location

Room

201

Building

Nathaniel Russell House

Date

February 7, 2023

Location

Room

201

Building

Nathaniel Russell House

Moved By

Date

July 27, 2004

Condition

Notes

Legs have been tremendous wear at lower sections. Leather writing surface is very worn, and is a replacement.

Notes

Single board top appears to have warped at some point and the ends were reglued to the case, leaving an irregular surface on the outer side edges. The top right of the case shows evidence of repair in three places along the edge. Residual glue is evident on the right side where the top meets the concave molding and where the molding joins the case. Frieze: veneer joints apparent Prospect door: Ink (?) stains at back of left pigeonhole Right tambour: horizontal scrape across tambour; restained to match existing. The lower drawer behind the right tambour has some worm damage. Left tambour: unable to open sliding door Writing surface: leather very scratched; gilt edge intact; exterior of writing surface has surface scratches, particularly on right, about midway in front of tambour and near the left edge. Old patch to interior left of case to stabilize crack Interior back: slight worm damage on lower left. Side supports: replaced Top drawer: four circular indentations around escutcheon caused by screws from a previous lock. Repair to lower cocbeading, just left of the left handle. Bottom drawer: central four circular indentations corresponding to an old lock; repair to cockbeading on the right below handle. Legs: All show evidence of extensive wear, particularly on the inner corners; Back: upper board has horizontal cracks along the grain. Parts Missing: none

Conservation

Treatment

Conservator

Joyce Keegan

Relationships

Related Publications

Notes

Beckerdite, Luke editor "American Furniture" 1997 Chipstone Foundation, article by John Bivins, "The Convergence and Divergence of Three Stylistic Traditions in Neoclassical Case Furniture, 1785-1800., pg. 47-105

Provenance

Notes

Collected By: Mr. and Mrs. Lammott Du Pont Copeland Last Owner: Mr. and Mrs. Lammott Du Pont Copeland Sold at Sotheby's, New York, January 19, 2002, Sale N07757, Lot 316, The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Lammot Du Pont Copeland. pg. 188-189.

Created By

admin@catalogit.app

Create Date

July 9, 2002

Updated By

sferguson@historiccharleston.org

Update Date

April 26, 2023