Card table

Object/Artifact

-

Saco Museum

Name/Title

Card table

Entry/Object ID

2017.26.1

Description

Rectangular card table with serpentine front and sides and four turned and reeded legs. The decorative impact is the result of light and dark veneers applied over a pine case. Three rectangular panels of bird's eye maple fill the front rail with a long rectangular panel and a small one above the rear legs on each side. These rectangles are outlined with fine stringing composed of light rectangles alternating with darker squares in between; the bird's eye maple panels are also surrounded and divided by a darker mahogany veneer. Dark banding with light stringing above and below is found along the edge of the top leaf and along the bottom front and side rails. Ring turning on the top of the legs to the bottom of the carcass with reeding below and two rings separate a tapered plain foot from the rest of the legs. The top and the leaf are each created from single mahogany boards, The edge of the leaf is trimmed as described above; the edge of the top on three sides is molded (undercut) for a lighter appearance. The inside of the rear rail is stamped twice with the initials "JTC" probably for John Thorndike Cleaves, the son of John Cleaves, owner of the Cleaves Hotel in the early 19th century. The initials are upside down indicating that they were stamped by the owner of the table or someone on their behalf after the piece was completed. When open, the top leaf is supported by a fly leg hinged in the middle of the back. A tenon on the back of the top fits into a mortise cut into the leaf to secure the open table. Brass hinges are found in the rear of each side. They are fitted for three screws in each of two arms per hinge. Screws are missing and there is evidence that not all the holes for the screws were used.

Context

Card-playing was a very popular activity in the 18th and early 19th centuries in Europe and colonial and federal America. It was an activity that both men and women could participate in during the day or even by candlelight.

Made/Created

Artist Information

Attribution

Attributed to

Date made

1809 - 1816

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Overall

Height

29 in

Width

35 in

Depth

17-3/4 in

Material

birds eye maple, mahogany, white pine, brass

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Object Label

Label

Card Table, 1809-1816 Saco, attributed to the shop of Joshua Cumston and David Buckminster mahogany, mahogany and bird's eye maple veneers, pine Gift of John and Lorinda Bradford

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

During the Federal period, card tables might have been the most frequently made type of furniture after chairs. They were produced in large numbers by craftsmen in both urban and rural areas. Their popularity may have been due to the fact that being lightweight and easy to move around, they made good all-purpose tables. Since card tables were meant to be placed against a wall when not in use, they are always unfinished on the back. This table was made by Saco cabinetmakers Joshua Cumston and David Buckminster and is typical of much of their work with its panels of contrasting mahogany and highly figured bird's eye veneers outlined by vibrant string inlay. The inside of the rear rail is branded twice with the letters "JTC." The initials are probably those of John Thorndike Cleaves, the son of John Cleaves, owner of the Cleaves Hotel in the early 19th century.

Label Type

Object Label