Side Chair

Samuel McIntire

1794–99 · Mahogany, ebony, ash, birch, white pine · The American Wing

This vase-back chair originally was made for the wealthy Salem merchant Elias Hasket Derby. The chair is part of a larger set, two pieces of which are at Bayou Bend (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston), and one in the Karolik Collection (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). The design of these chairs is an enriched version of plate 2 from George Hepplewhite's "Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide" (London, 1788). The carved grape clusters in the lunette at the base of the splat and suspended from bowknots at the top of each leg are a motif traditionally associated with the work of Samuel McIntire, a Salem carver and architect.

Artist

Samuel McIntire

Date

1794–99

Medium

Mahogany, ebony, ash, birch, white pine

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Friends of the American Wing Fund, 1962