On View
Not on viewSlant-front Desks
Artist
Joseph Hosmer
1735 - 1821
Date1790-1810
Terms
- Slant-front Desks
- Cherry
- Eastern White Pine
- Concord (Massachusetts)
Dimensions106.6 × 106.6 × 53.3 cm (41 15/16 × 41 15/16 × 21 in.)
Markings"[J]oseph Hosmer" and "Cyrus Hosmer" scratched on underside of the central interior drawer. In chalk on the front of the same drawer is the signature "Cyrus Hosmer" Inscription "Major Joseph Hosmer's desk" is painted in black on bottom of the top large drawer.
Credit LineGift of Cummings E. Davis (1886)
Object numberF1105
DescriptionTolman Catalog, Tolman Number 2: "Serpentine-front Desk or Escritoire, made for his own use by Major Joseph Hosmer, and sold to Mr. C. E. Davis by his great-grandson, the late Cyrus Hosmer. Major Joseph Hosmer was born in Concord December 27, 1735, and died here January 13, 1821. He acted as adjutant of the American force at Concord North Bridge, April 19, 1775, and was active in the patriot service during the Revolution."
Cherry, eastern white pine. Front is in reverse serpentine form, the outer convex curves returning about two and one half inches from the edges, as in the bureau F1108. Drawers are flush and are scored to form a shallow beading about edges, also like F1108. Base moldings are a cove, a fillet, a quarter round and a wide fillet. The piece stands on four ogee-bracket feet. Brasses are original ones, of large size, stamped in the so-called "willow pattern"
The two-board cherry sides are dovetailed to the one-board top and one-board pink bottom. The three lapped boards of the back are nailed into rabbets cut in the sides and top. The drawer supports are nailed to the case sides and join the dividers in an unusual way: the end of the drawer support is cut off at a 45-degree angle and rests in an angled notch cut in back of the drawer divider. The underside of the bottom board; the lower drawer rides on the base molding and two nailed drawer supports. The base molding is backed by four chamfered glue blocks (one now missing). The triangular rear foot element is supported by one vertical and one horizontal block behind in addition to a single vertical and two horizontal blocks before.
The thin drawer fronts, each outlined with a scratched bead, are finely dovetailed to the sides; the top edges of the drawer sides and back are not molded. The drawer bottoms are feathered on the sides and front edge and held in grooves cut in the drawer sides and front with two glue blocks on each side and up to eleven on the front, each block chamfered.
Cherry, eastern white pine. Front is in reverse serpentine form, the outer convex curves returning about two and one half inches from the edges, as in the bureau F1108. Drawers are flush and are scored to form a shallow beading about edges, also like F1108. Base moldings are a cove, a fillet, a quarter round and a wide fillet. The piece stands on four ogee-bracket feet. Brasses are original ones, of large size, stamped in the so-called "willow pattern"
The two-board cherry sides are dovetailed to the one-board top and one-board pink bottom. The three lapped boards of the back are nailed into rabbets cut in the sides and top. The drawer supports are nailed to the case sides and join the dividers in an unusual way: the end of the drawer support is cut off at a 45-degree angle and rests in an angled notch cut in back of the drawer divider. The underside of the bottom board; the lower drawer rides on the base molding and two nailed drawer supports. The base molding is backed by four chamfered glue blocks (one now missing). The triangular rear foot element is supported by one vertical and one horizontal block behind in addition to a single vertical and two horizontal blocks before.
The thin drawer fronts, each outlined with a scratched bead, are finely dovetailed to the sides; the top edges of the drawer sides and back are not molded. The drawer bottoms are feathered on the sides and front edge and held in grooves cut in the drawer sides and front with two glue blocks on each side and up to eleven on the front, each block chamfered.
Collections
- Furniture
