Pad George Washington Jean Antoine Houdon, Sculptor HANDBOOK of the DEPARTMENT OF DECORATIVE ARTS of EUROPE AND AMERICA by EIQWIN J HIPKISS Curator of the Department Pu shUM- OF FINE. ARTS BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 1928 SOT GAL L ERY ag eee AN ART, ER: PHILLPS “AC ADE! MY, ANDOV 2 FOREWORD HE DEPARTMENT OF DEcOoRATIVE ARTS OF EUROPE ale. AMERICA 15 new in name and new in arrangement at this Museum. It was planned long in advance, and much of its material has remained in storage rooms for years awaiting appropriate exhibition space. The building which houses this Department is at present only partially completed and so we look to the coming years for a full realization of the scheme of arrangement. In the galleries and rooms works of decorative art are grouped according to their respective periods and national origins, and so far as possible in chronological order. Acknowledging certain limitations, the new building offers also the exhibition of objects in original rooms with the firm belief that where works of art, both major and minor, were made to be seen together in their own day, they are best seen together in our day. In this Department over fifty exhibitions are open to any interested person without fee and with few restrictions; and this rich gift is offered to the public by the Museum of Fine Arts, a private corporation, through the faith of its officers and tts friends,—a faith backed by quiet deeds of generosity. Epwin JAmeEs Hipkiss Curator. INTRODUC Hi a Be ESE galleries provide the Museum for the first time with the opportunity to exhibit works of decorative art in their proper relation and with adequate space and light. Looking back over past years, it is indeed a pleasure to recall how many people have co-operated in the construction of the building and the formation of the collections here exhibited. In January, 1924, the Trustees decided that gifts had so in- creased in number and importance that a new wing must be built. They appointed Dudley Leavitt Pickman, Chairman, Thomas Allen, Henry Forbes Bigelow, Morris Gray, and Edwin Farnham Greene a Committee to obtain funds. The members of the Committee themselves subscribed gener- ously, and the response to their request and example was immediate. Ninety-seven friends contributed the full amount necessary for construction. The building was designed by Guy Lowell in co-operation with the Director and a Building Committee of five, Morris Gray, Chairman, William Crowninshield Endicott, Henry Forbes Bigelow, J. Templeman Coolidge, and George Peabody Gardner. After Mr. Gray’s resignation, Henry Lee Shattuck was added to the Committee and the office of Chairman was held successively by Thomas Allen, George Peabody Gardner, and T. Jefferson Coolidge. The plan for installation was prepared by the Curator of the Department, and has been carried to completion under his direction with the constant working co-operation of the Installation Committee: Henry Forbes Bigelow, Chairman, William Truman Aldrich, J. Templeman Coolidge, William Crowninshield Endicott, Dudley Leavitt Pickman, and the Director. The generosity of donors and lenders has been very great. Seven entire rooms have been given—the Louis XVI and Hamilton Palace rooms by Mrs. Frederick T. Bradbury in memory of her brother, George Robert White; the Tudor room by Mrs. Edward F. Dwight in memory of her parents, George Parsons and Sarah Elizabeth Eddy Parsons; the Louis XV room by Guy Lowell; the room from Bath, Maine, by Dudley Leavitt Pickman; the room from Marblehead by Mrs. George H. Davenport; and the Chippendale room from Wood- cote Park by Eben Howard Gay. Members of the “Trestle Board” have given and lent many representative examples of early American furniture, silver, pewter, glass, and metalwork and have assisted greatly with advice. The Garden in the Court is the gift of Mrs. Frederick T. Bradbury, the Misses Hannah Marcy and Grace Edwards, and Mrs. W. Scott Fitz. It was designed by Arthur Shurtleff in consultation with a committee of three, William Truman Aldrich, Henry Forbes Bigelow, and the Director. To everyone who has contributed the Museum is deeply grateful. Epwarp Jackson HoLMEs Director. AS: EUROPEAN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 1 TAPESTRY GALLERY +] Fae spacious gallery, with its marble floors, walls of trav- ertine stone, and beamed ceiling, is no new feature at the Museum; nevertheless, it is an important unit in the ex- hibition scheme of the new department. Tue West WALL: Two very important Flemish tapestries of the fifteenth century, representing respectively “The Creed”’ and ‘““The Crossing of the Red Sea,” are owned by the Mu- seum. Here are also three tapestries of the sixteenth century, woven at Brussels, two of which are loans. The furniture is Italian of the sixteenth century; the fine bench is flanked by suits of armor; one, German of Maximilian type, made about 1525; the other, Spanish of Gothic type, dating from the latter part of the fitteenth century. Tue East WALL: Three tapestries of the sixteenth century, attributed to Flemish weavers, represent seasons of the year, —Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Here also are tapestries of the seventeenth century from Brussels. The sacristy cup- board, of walnut, from Tuscany was made during the four- teenth century. On this cupboard is placed a bust of Christ in terra cotta with traces of decoration in polychrome. Tue Enp Watts: Flemish tapestries and Italian furniture, all of the sixteenth century, are exhibited at each end of the gallery. Dimensions: length, 99’ 0’; width, 33’ 4’; __ height, 32’ 0”. EUROPEAN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 2—con. GoTHic GALLERY Tue East Watt: The central group contains sculpture in wood of the Franco-Flemish school of the thirteenth and fif- teenth centuries placed on a chest with a carved front in oak of the fifteenth century. Three small sculptured figures in ala- baster and one in limestone stand on architectural columns with capitals. Two fragments of tapestry of mi/lefleur design, date about 1500, hang on this wall. Placed on a Gothic chest in oak, is a small group of metalwork and illuminated leaves on vellum, about 1500. Tue SoutH Watt: On this wall is an altar-front from Angle- sola, Province of Lerida, Spain, dating from the latter half of the fourteenth century. Above is a fragment of French tapes- try woven between the years 1515 and 1518 showing scenes from “The History of the Sacrament.’ Other examples of French tapestries of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries also hang on this wall; one of mé/lefleur design depicts a Turk and his family. The two capitals are of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and the French mantelpiece in limestone of the sixteenth century. A figure of “The Trinity” in ala- baster is an important example of English workmanship of the fifteenth century. Dimensions: length, 71’ 6”; width, 30’ 3”; _ height, 20’ 9. 2198 5 Bee : Se at pe = a2 es “af Se WwHe Sse Y.o-.* Lae A aS ee Sm “ea siieced iow eS CHEE pg oe —_ shafts sae CS Pgs a sy cag Masse Ape ‘ e (GA awe n 4 Sot “x & ae 6: os -e as 3 : & : Oe Be eee. “SMES. 3 eee ae cs gas Series wet at Gee am, mma 1 PeROPERAN. ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 3 STAINED GLass WINDOW FROM Hampton Court, HEREFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND Date, about 1435 iS stained glass came from the private chapel of the ancient mansion house, Hampton Court, in Hereford- shire which, under the auspices of Henry VI, was completed in 1435 by Sir Roland Lenthall who had won riches and pris- oners through the victory of Agincourt. The glass was prob- ably made by John de la Chambre, Pére, (died 1437) who painted the great Saint Cuthbert Window at York Minster and much of the fine glass at All Saints’ Church, York. There were five lancets in the original window. Within a characteristic canopy-design of English painted glass of the fifteenth century, are shown the figures of eight apostles: Peter, Andrew, James the Greater, John, Bartholo- mew, Matthew, James the Lesser, and Simon; and above, St. John the Baptist, St. Francis, and a Pieta. The glass was removed from its original setting in 1924. The stonework was made from measured drawings of the original tracery with the necessary modification due to the loss of one lancet before 1728. The construction materials of this gallery are modern. The objects shown are works of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A Spanish lectern in wrought iron stands beneath the window. An Italian tomb monument in marble, on the floor, bears the obituary inscription of Cicelle Pissicelle, Abbess of the Convent of St. Patricia at Naples, who died on February 4, 1438. On the side walls are tapestries of the early sixteenth century, beneath which are English church benches. An Italian choir stall of the sixteenth century, somewhat re- stored, is placed opposite the window for the use of visitors. Dimensions: length, 30’ 3’; width, 15’ 1”; height, 28’ 0”. The Marra ANTOINETTE Evans Funp, 1925. EUROPEAN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 4 ITALIAN GALLERY HE West Watt: On this wall are two panels of velvet in blue and gold of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, three paintings by Sano di Pietro, a Madonna and Child, and two Saints, and two examples of wrought iron of the sixteenth century,—a fireguard and a Venetian balcony grill of geo- metric pattern. An exhibition case contains fragments of Italian brocades of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Tue SoutH Watt: A very important Italian tapestry of the late sixteenth century woven with silk, wool, and gold depicts “The Ascension;” small sculpture, paintings, chairs, and a sixteenth century cradle complete the exhibition on this wall. Tue East Waut: Fragments of fine velvets, two carved and painted chests, chairs, and paintings are arranged at either side of a large cabinet in walnut attributed to the fifteenth century from the Villa Pamphilia. Tue Norru Watt: A case exhibition of metal work and carvings in bone of ecclesiastical origin and chiefly Italian workmanship occupies the middle of this wall. Panels of velvet hang above small chairs. Dimensions: length, 37’ 3’; width, 25’ 6”; height, 14’ 2”. meek OPRAN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 5 ITALIAN GALLERY he SoutH Watt: On a pair of painted Florentine pedes- tals in wood stand wrought iron ornaments, and over the doorway is a bronze crucifix; all are attributed to the six- teenth century. In the large case is an exhibition of metalwork mostly ecclesiastical; these objects, though not all of Italian origin, reflect the influence of the Renaissance period. The siege shield above the case is Italian, date about 1580. On the left hangs a figure of the Madonna and Child in poly- chrome terra cotta attributed to Benedetto da Maiano. Tue East Watt: Three magnificent specimens of figured and embroidered velvet (see illustration on preceding page of text) hang on this wall above chests, chairs, and a credenza, all of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The glazed terra- cotta jars with the Medici arms in bas-relief were brought from the Monastery of Santa Maria Novella at Florence. Tue Nortu Watt: A figure of the Madonna and Child in white glazed terra cotta attributed to the school of Della Robbia hangs at the right of an exhibition case which con- tains a collection of Italian pottery of the sixteenth and seven- teenth centuries.. The iron gates framing the doorway are Venetian in the style of the sixteenth century. Above the door hangs a walnut panel of the sixteenth century carved in bas-relief. Tue West Wa tt: Furniture and ironwork with two cases containing Italian glass are shown against this wall. On the floor of this gallery stands a fine walnut table of the earlier part of the sixteenth century. Dimensions: length, 51’ 3’; width, 25’ 6”; height, 14’ 2”. MmoOROPEAN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 6 SPANISH GALLERY | Bee SoutH Wa tt: A pair of panelled doors in painted pine, probably of sixteenth century workmanship, hang at each side of the doorway, with a crucifix in carved ivory above. An exhibition case contains plates in glazed pottery and a figure of Saint James cut from a block of jet. Two panels of brocatelle of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries hang at each side of the case. Tue East Watt: A good example of Spanish cabinet work is seen in the varguefio, or writing cabinet, of walnut with enriched ornamentation in wrought iron and interior decora- tion in gilt and carved bone, made during the sixteenth cen- tury. A panel of brocaded velvet hangs over the vargueno. Here also are chairs, pottery, embossed leather, and cases containing silversmith’s work and ivory carving of the seven- teenth and eighteenth centuries. Tue Nortu Watt: The rug is an interesting, although much worn, example of the work of the sixteenth century. Beneath it are rare fragments of Spanish and Spanish-Arabic weaving. Furniture, both from Spain and Portugal, decorated leather, and a crucifix in ivory are the principal objects shown. Tue West Watt: Three cases contain objects in glass, glazed pottery, wrought silver and iron, and some fragments of woven materials chiefly of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Two large panels of embroidered work of the eighteenth century hang on this wall. Dimensions: length, 38’ 11”; width, 25’ 6”; height, 14’ 2””. Peek.) PoE A Ne ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 7 NETHERLANDS GALLERY ela chiefly from the Netherlands, of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, are shown in this gallery. Tue Soutu Watt: A panel of Flemish tapestry of the ver- dure pattern, dating about 1700, hangs, with fragments of borders of the late sixteenth century at each side, over a case containing wrought iron. Tue East Watt: The tapestry on this wall is from Brussels and was woven in the seventeenth century; it hangs over a Flemish chest in oak dated ‘1697,’ on which is a case con- taining Dutch silver of the seventeenth and eighteenth cen- turies. At the right is a cabinet of Dutch workmanship and design of the mid-seventeenth century. The cabinet on the left is French of the sixteenth century. Tue Norru Watt: Another tapestry of verdure pattern hangs on this wall, dating from the seventeenth century; be- neath is a case containing objects of wrought iron. Mounted ironwork from Belgium hangs over the doorway. Tue West Watt: A large case contains Delft pottery dec- orated in blue and also in polychrome. At the right is a large Dutch chest of the seventeenth century with inlaid armorial designs. At the left is a Spanish bench. Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian furniture complete the exhibition. Dimensions: length, 25’ 6’; width, 25’ 6’; height, 14’ 2”. EUROPEAN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 8 SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH GALLERY a ae Soutn Watt: A Brussels tapestry woven during the sixteenth century represents ‘“Titus Receiving the Keys of Jerusalem.” Beneath it is a Jacobean table in oak on which is a case containing chalices of silver made in London during the first half of the seventeenth century and presented to American churches, and a small prayerbook with an em- broidered cover, also of the seventeenth century. The richly decorated chalice is inscribed: ‘““The Gift of Governor Ino Winthrop to ye It Church in Boston.” Walnut chairs of the seventeenth century. Tue West Watt: An English chest of walnut with mar- quetry work in fruitwood stands at the right of another Brussels tapestry depicting ‘“The Conference,” a scene from the Punic Wars. A pair of walnut sidechairs, of the time of Charles II, and a pair of Italian candlestands in wrought- iron are shown against the tapestry. At the left is a chest of drawers in oak of the earlier half of the seventeenth century. Tue Nortu Watt: A carved cupboard of oak of the mid- seventeenth century stands beneath a painting depicting Charles IX and the King of Navarre hunting at Fontaine- bleau. On the cupboard is a crucifix carved in ivory and amber and, at each side, an English sidechair of the latter half of the seventeenth century. Tue East Watt: A tall clock with a marquetry case made by Hen: Killmister at London, a Jacobean table, and a brass- studded leather trunk made by John Selby, “Trunk-maker to George II at Windsor Castle and London,” are shown on this wall. In the case is an exhibition of stoneware and other small objects. In one window is a study series of fifteen panels of fragments of English stained glass exemplifying the Early English, Decorated, Perpendicular, and Renaissance Styles, and the Period of Enamel Colors. In the other window is a medallion of French stained glass of the fourteenth century depicting ““Woman led by Demons.” Dimensions: length, 29’ 10”; width, 25’ 6”; height, 14’ 2”. of K t ‘ # * rae OPEAN. ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 9 Room From HamittTon PaLace, JLANARKSHIRE, SCOTLAND Date, about 1690 ae third duke of Hamilton, in the year 1690, rebuilt the palace on the estate near Glasgow which had been the seat of the royal family of Hamilton since the fourteenth century. This room is the State Morning Room of that palace which was designed by a Scotch architect, James Smith, working in the manner of Sir Christopher Wren. The walls of the room are of oak and are complete as they were removed from the palace. The enriched panel over the fireplace, carved after the manner of Grinling Gibbons, is also of oak and displays the armorial bearings of the Hamilton family. The floor of oak is modern, laid in the method used at this period. The plaster ceiling is also modern and has been carefully adapted in scale and ornamentation from ceilings contemporary with the room. The hangings at the windows are of Genoese cut velvet of the seventeenth century and conform in design with the style of the period. The brass chandelier of the seventeenth century is similar in design to one that formerly hung in this room. The tapestry on the north wall depicting the Miracles of St. Claudius was woven in Flanders at the beginning of the sixteenth century and was originally in Knole House, the property of the Crown of England, until given in 1567 by Queen Elizabeth to the Sackville family. The Ispahan rug is of the early seventeenth century. English furniture of the seventeenth century and English portraits complete the furnishings of the room. Dimensions: length, 36’ 8’; width, 21’7”; height, 17’ 0”. The Room and its furnishings are the gift of Mrs. Freperick T. BRADBURY in memory of her brother, GeorcE R. WuiTE. - EUROPEAN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 10 Louis XVI SaLon From Parts, FRANCE Date, about 1760 ate the beginning of this century, the boiserie was re- moved from a Parisian house, believed to have been owned by the Marquise de |’Hdpital, and was installed in the Salomon Mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City. It was acquired for the Museum in 1924. The walls are panelled in oak with carved and gilded decoration. The fine hardware in cuivre doré is original. The pair of chandeliers, with pendants of rock crystal, amethyst, and topaz quartz, are of the eighteenth century, and some- what earlier than the room. The rich hangings of jardiniére velvet are of the eighteenth century arranged in a design appropriate to a room of this period. The Ispahan rug is of the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. The four panels of tapestry are French of the eighteenth century made after designs by Christophe Huet (d. 1759). The portrait bust on the mantelpiece is of terra cotta and is the work of Augustin Pajou (1730-1809). The restorations in the.room consist of the plaster ceiling and its ornamented cove, the glass, the oak floor, and the glazed doors and transom at the end of the room. French furniture of the period has been placed in the room. Dimensions: length, 42’ 6’; width, 18’ 8”; height, 12’ 10’. The Room and its furnishings are the gift of Mrs. Freperick T. BRADBURY in memory of her brother, Gzorce R. Wuire. Peo PE AN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 11 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY FRENCH GALLERY Frencu bedstead from the Swan Collection is shown at the west end of this gallery. A label recently re- moved from the bedstead reads: Année 1787 GARDE-MEUBLE DU ROI Suivant CHATARD, Peintre & Doreur ordre Fauxbourg Montmartre du 17 A PARIS Juillet Pour M. Chierry no. 181 Chambre a coucher a Paris The couronne de lit of damask is contemporary, but was not originally with the bedstead. The firescreen with carved and gilded decoration, similar to that of the bedstead, and the andirons of cuivre doré were also among the furnishings brought to Boston by Colonel James Swan from France at the time of the Revolution. A Flemish tapestry of the eighteenth century and other furniture of the Louis XVI period are also shown in this gallery. | Other objects from the Swan Collection are shown in the adjoining gallery. Dimensions: length, 24’ 3’; width, 14’ 4”; height, 19’ 9”. EUROPEAN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 12 BoucHER GALLERY ce two fine paintings by Francois Boucher were painted in 1757 and represent, in a light and charming way, “TAller au Marché” and ‘“‘La Halte a4 la Fontaine.’”’ The carved and gilded frames are contemporary with the paint- ings. The eight carved and gilded panels of the mid-eighteenth century are from the Hétel de Montmorency. These superb pictures by Boucher and the fine panels were once in the Deacon House in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Four of the panels are lent by the Boston Athenaeum, and four are owned by the Museum. Furniture of the eighteenth century is exhibited in this gallery and also excellent metalwork in cuivre doré and silver. The urn of Sévres porcelain, in royal blue, mounted in cuivre doré, is to be especially noted. The two-handled cup in wrought silver made in Paris during the year 1787 by J CM, an unidentified silversmith, and the two carved and gilded side chairs, were brought to Boston by Colonel James Swan at the time of the French Revolution. The small side chairs with lyre-shaped backs are of the Directoire period. The painted armchair with blue damask covering is signed by Jacob, the Parisian ébéniste of the eighteenth century. Dimensions: length, 28’ 8’; width, 14’ 4”; height, 19’ 9”. EUROPEAN ARTS Mazin Floor Exhibition 13 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ITALIAN GALLERY (aa two large paintings by Panninni well represent the skill of this painter in depicting multitudinous detail and complex drawing in perspective. One shows a picture gallery, probably imaginative, and the other the interior of the Church of St. Peter at Rome. The painted and gilded furniture, chairs, settees, tables, and looking-glasses, are representative examples from Italy of the eighteenth century. The mantelpiece of white marble deli- cately carved is also of this period. On the jambs of the door- ‘way are a pair of carved and gilded looking-glasses of the mid-eighteenth century. Dimensions: length, 22’ 5”; width, 14’ 4”; height, 19’ 9”. EUROPEAN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 14 Main STAIR-HALL qe= Flemish tapestry of the seventeenth century is of an unusual design of crossed clubs with fleur-de-lis and crowns. The interrupted pattern and absence of a lower border show it to be but a part of the original tapestry. The shield at the left bears the fleur-de-lis of France, that on the right the orle borne on the shields of the Kings of Navarre. Beneath this tapestry is a French provincial chest of oak of the eighteenth century and a pair of French chairs in walnut with needlepoint coverings of the seventeenth century. A daybed in walnut covered with crimson and gold velvet is French of the Louis XIII period. A panel of Italian red velvet of the sixteenth century is also shown in this gallery. A fragment of tapestry hangs over the doorway. The painted door at each side of the doorway is of the same period as the objects in the adjoining gallery, Italian of the eighteenth century. 3 A Brussels tapestry of the sixteenth century, hung on the stairway, depicts a scene from the life of Scipio. Dimensions: length, 25’ 3”; width, 14’ 4”; height, 19’ 9”. rake OPEAN ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 15 Tupor Room FROM SOMERSETSHIRE, ENGLAND Date, about 1490 PANELS FROM TARPORLEY, CHESHIRE Date, about 1493 Bats rare example of woodwork of the Tudor period is in the main original work of the late fifteenth century. In- asmuch as the furniture of this early period is almost non- existent, it will be easily understood that the woodwork of this room, when first assembled, lacked some of the features which it now possesses. Every care, however, has been exer- cised to have the added parts of contemporary material. In 1911, the woodwork had already been dismantled, for it had been brought from a village near the Devonshire border to Bath and purchased by a local collector who recognized it as ancient material. Unfortunately a record of the building of which it had been a part has been lost: The Guild Hall at Levenham, in Suffolk, has construction details similar to this Tudor woodwork and suggests the possible appearance of the building of which this was once a part. (See “The Do- mestic Architecture of England during the Tudor Period” by Garner & Stratton, Plate LIX.) muk)PEAN-ARTS Main Floor Exhibition 15—con. Tupor Room From SoMERSETSHIRE, ENGLAND Date, about 1490 Among the added parts are the glazed windows and the carved panels over the fireplace. The panels are from a fifteenth century house formerly standing in Tarporley, Cheshire, and have been recognized by the Reverend W. F. Timbrell, M.A., of Chester as those which interested the Historical Society of Lancashire and Cheshire during the mid- eighteenth century. The central panel bears the inscription “W W D Decretorum,” which has been interpreted to read “William Witter Doctor of Degrees.” The Reverend William Witter (or Wittar) was Rector of Tarporley from 1493 to 1543 (see illustration on preceding page of text). In the room is a Tudor chest of cypress and hickory with carved and inlaid design, a piece somewhat later in date than the room. The table and armchair are of the early seventeenth century. Arms and armor, mostly German, and other objects in metalwork complete the furnishings. Dimensions: length, 18’. 5’; width, 16’7”; height, 10’ 6”. The Gift of Mrs. Epwarp Foote Dwicut in memory of her parents, GeEorGE Parsons and SARAH ELIZABETH Eppy PARSONS. 4 y) % WEILL TONES. a 2 64s hy 9 i Tae ae a ag bah Gi paver RECAN ARTES Ground Floor Exhibition 16 TEXTILE CORRIDOR HIS corridor contains an exhibition of Peruvian textiles and of European laces. From the Crypt, located south of the Lecture Hall, visitors pass through the Textile Corridor leading to the Ship Model Gallery (17) and other exhibitions on the Ground Floor. Through this corridor one also reaches the stairway leading to the Textile Study and the Office of the Keeper of Textiles in the Department. These are on the Court Floor of the new building. Dimensions: length, 134’ 1114”; width, 12’ 634”; height, 13’ 314”. we oe 3 nee ESR che i pO PEAN “ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 17 Sutp MopEL GALLERY U is a new venture for American Museums of Fine Arts to include models of ships in their list of treasures—thus following very late, indeed, the example of important Euro- pean Museums; but it seems especially fitting that our coast- lined States should store memories, fast fading, of the splendid sailing vessels which brought them renown and riches; and that an era of courage and romance should be kept alive in the models and pictures of those ships. The association of early British and French vessels was no far cry to the American Colonial, and even touched him closely for better or worse; and so their presence here, aside from their peculiar worth, possesses a certain historical fitness. The sturdy beauty and perfection of workmanship of these foreign models—which frequently belonged to the reigning sovereign—need not detract from the limited number produced in America when it is recalled that the European Admiralties and Dock Yards produced models as early as the mid-sixteen hundreds, and employed men whose sole occupa- tion was the making of them; while there were no such artisans on our side of the ocean, and little time or money to spend upon them. These models were prototypes of the vessels which took their actual shape from them—being built from the model, and not vice versa. Several specimens here show open sec- tions in order that measurements might be made and en- larged to scale in the actual construction of the ship itself. Such a process, although giving the rugged character of the craft, was far from being accurate, and it was left for a small shipbuilder of Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1774 to revolutionize the art of shipbuilding by sawing his model into horizontal templates and taking off a linear tracing of each one. EUROPEAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition [7—con. SHip MopEL GALLERY During the periods of richly decorated ships of war the carving was of a high order, frequently by the hand of a distinguished sculptor, who executed upon the model the figures and ornaments to be enlarged to actual size. It is therefore quite possible, in contemplating these old models, to find oneself in the presence of the ship itself. (Bake) Dimensions: length, 38’ 2’; width, 29’ 9”; height, 13’ 7”. From the Collections of J. TEMpLEMAN CooLipcE and others. Pewiebek TCA NA RES Ground Floor Exhibition 18 AMERICAN FURNITURE GALLERY ee furniture of oak, pine, maple, and walnut is exhibited in this narrow gallery, with an occasional piece from England such as was used contemporaneously. All of the pieces are of the latter part of the seventeenth or earlier half of the eighteenth centuries, and most have been lent by friends of the Museum for the opening exhibitions of the new building. Dimensions: length, 46’ 11; width, 10’ 3; height, 13’ 7”. AMERICAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 19 SpECIAL EXHIBITION GALLERY | Bau gallery will be used for the temporary exhibition of special collections, to be changed at frequent intervals. For this Opening Exhibition, there are cases of pottery, porcelain, and glass of the eighteenth century. Two cases contain Wedgwood pottery, one of Jasper ware in a variety of colors, the other of Basalt ware. An interesting group of eighteenth century porcelain figures contains unusual Chelsea, Bow, Derby, and Crown Derby pieces. One case contains English and Irish glass. In the four cases against the windows are examples of eighteenth century American glass. Dimensions: length, 46’ 11”; width, 19’ 2”; height, 13’ 7”. LecrurE HALL CorRIDORS I the corridors surrounding the Lecture Hall is a study collection of European and American pottery and porce- lain. Beginning at the left of the Lecture Hall entrance, the groups are arranged alphabetically according to their national origins. The ceramic arts of England, for example, are again subdivided and the visitor first sees examples of Adams, Bow, Chelsea, and other English porcelains. AMERICAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 20 SouTH STAIR-HALL Cs furniture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centu- ries, also lent for the Opening Exhibition, is mostly of American workmanship. One chest of English oak is espe- cially interesting inasmuch as it bears a plate, affixed in 1830, upon which is recorded the succession of owners, the first of whom was Governor Winslow of Plymouth Colony. On the west hall hangs a set of American bed-hangings of “crewel-work”’ of the early eighteenth century. In the stairway hang an Aubusson tapestry of the eight- eenth century and a Flemish tapestry of the seventeenth century. Dimensions: length, 30’ 3’; width, 25’ 3’; height, 13’ 10”. EUROPEAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 21 SALON FROM THE CHATEAU DE LA MUETTE, Passy, Paris, FRANCE Date, about 1740 a Chateau de la Muette was originally a hunting lodge, where Charles IX frequently visited. In the sixteenth century it was transformed into a chateau by the architect Philibert Delormes, and in 1615 was given by Marguerite, the first wife of Henry IV, to the young king, Louis XIII. In 1716 it was reconstructed under the direction of the Regent for his daughter, La Duchesse de Berri, and after her death in 1720 enlarged and the beautiful gardens added, at the expense of the Bois de Boulogne. It was occupied by Louis XV during his minority, restored in 1741 and given to Madame de Pompadour, and after her death, in 1764, again reconstructed. Marie Antoinette was received at the Chateau on her arrival in France, spent the eve of her wedding day there, and with Louis XVI spent several months there after his accession to the throne. In 1818 it was purchased from the Government by Sebastien Erard, from whose heirs it was acquired in 1920. The walls of this salon are paneled in unpainted oak with carved enrichment in the Regence style. No restoration of the woodwork was necessary except the windows and their em- brasures. The marble mantelpiece and firebacks of cast iron are contemporary with the woodwork, but were not originally in this room. The modern espagnolettes were made in Paris for this room, copies of authentic models. The floor and ceiling are modern and follow in design the style of the period. The chandelier of cuivre doré and rock crystal 1s contem- porary, though somewhat restored. Two of the portraits are in oil, one by Van Loo, the other attributed to the school of Nattier, the third is in pastel. The fine chaise longue of beech- wood, covered with yellow damask, the round-about chair with caned seat and back, the upholstered armchair, and the Oriental carpet are especially appropriate furnishings. Dimensions: length, 22’ 0’; width, 20’ 6”; height, 103"; The CHarLes Amos Cummincs Bequest Funp, 1924. mUROPEAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 22 CHAMBER FROM THE CHATEAU DE LA MUETTE, Passy, Paris, FRANCE Date, about 1740 qe walls of this room are paneled in unpainted oak with carved ornament similar to that in the adjoining parlor. Only the paneling of this room was available; the marble mantelpiece and its ornamented lining of cast iron, although replacements, are of the period. The windows, their embra- sures, and hardware are modern. The modern floor, laid in herring-bone pattern characteristic of the period, is of oak. The hangings of yellow damask in the windows and bed alcove are French of the mid-eighteenth century, and have been hung in the manner of the time. The chairs of beechwood and walnut are of the period of Louis XV and are covered with old brocades. The small com- mode is of rosewood, with marquetry, and ormolu mounts. The group of figures on the mantelpiece, representing children gathering birds’ eggs, is glazed white Sévres. The silver candle- sticks are Italian of the eighteenth century, made in the French style. The carpets in the room are from the Orient; two are Turkish, of Ghiordes and of Ladik type, of the seven- teenth century; the third is Persian, of the Joshigan type, also of the seventeenth century. Dimensions: length, 20’ 6”; width, 18’ 4’; height, 10’ 6”. The Cuartes Amos Cummincs Bequest Funp, 1924. Se Sereno armen neteromnan near nnomnn tn anennnnnencone MRNAS RBS SES : . & 5 . . EFUROPEAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 23 PaIntED Room From Paris, FRANCE Epoque Louis XV HE painted woodwork of this room comes from an un- known house in Paris. Its painted panels well represent the decorative schemes, charming in conception, color, and brushwork, of the mid-eighteenth century in France. The room was probably designed as a retiring room or small study. The pair of chairs of the period of Louis XV are of painted beechwood. Old books in calf bindings have been placed on the shelves. The carpet is from Turkey, of the Damascus type made in the sixteenth century. The windows and their hardware are modern, as are the mirrors in the room. In the adjoining gallery are shown examples of eighteenth century furniture, a case of French pottery and porcelain, and two cases containing watches, fans, snuff boxes, and other small objects. Dimensions: length, 23’ 4’’; width, 8’ 6”; height, 9’ 6”. The Gift of Guy LowELL. 4 i ; ; } : i it : : i i 1 3 i : i :3 i Ri ESE Seb IK RE LGEAE NIGP SCE REG SRB 3s Bist ED BARE Bt Bit ae SNe MES MER USS Pe RHC H Hee F Sree eye eee ® EUROPEAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 24 ADAM GALLERY Lo Sea ie detail and furniture of the late eighteenth century designed in the manner of Robert Adam and his brothers are shown here as a group. The doorway frame has dull gilt and grained surfaces. The doors are painted in two tones of light blue with gilt panel mouldings and canvas insets, painted in the manner of Angelica Kauffmann, Pergolesi, and others of this period. The door was originally in the residence at 70 Russell Square, London, for many years the home of Lord Loughborough (1733-1808), first Earl of Roslyn, who was Lord Chancellor during his lifetime. The mantelpiece is of white statuary marble with insets of yellow Siena marble. The hob-grate, fire tools, and fender are of the same period as the mantelpiece. The furniture in painted satinwood includes a caned-back settee and pair of armchairs, a cabinet, a bow-front commode, a work table, a pair of firescreens, and a harp with music stand and seat. Dimensions: length, 25’ 6”; width, 13’ 6’; height, 13’ 2”. The Gift of Mrs. Horatio A. Lams in memory of Mrs. WINTHROP SARGENT. BPUROPEAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 25 CHIPPENDALE Room rrom Woopcote Park, Epsom, SURREY, ENGLAND Date, about 1750 Te room with its carved and painted paneling, enriched ceiling, decorative canvases, and fine furniture presents an ensemble of decorative art of a high order, made by or under the influence of the master craftsman and designer, Thomas Chippendale. The four walls of carved and paneled deal, or fir wood, are from the drawing room of Woodcote Park, at Epsom, Surrey. The overdoor and ceiling paintings, the latter attributed to Antoine Coypel, are seen as they were originally placed in the room. The ceiling of plaster is a dupli- cate of the original which remains at Woodcote Park. The carved fireplace in white statuary and yellow Siena marble contains amid its enrichment a representation of the dog and his reflection in Aesop’s fable. Over the fireplace is a portrait of Charles Parkhurst, Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, painted by George Romney. The set of four side chairs and two arm- chairs have the rich carving and “ribbon backs” illustrated in Chippendale’s book of designs. The cabinet, desk-bookcase, table, clock, and gilded looking-glass show Chinese motives so popular throughout the eighteenth century and referred to by Chippendale as being “in the Chinese taste.” The four wall sconces are of carved mahogany. Two vases of Chinese porcelain are also exhibited as appropriate to the room. The crimson hangings at the windows are of Italian damask of the seventeenth century. Dimensions: length, 23’ 114”; width, 20’ 4”; height, 12’ 2”. The Room and its furnishings are the Gift of EBEn Howarp Gay. BPUROPEAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 26 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH GALLERY eo arts of the eighteenth century are shown in this gallery. On the south and east walls are cases con- taining a varied assortment of silver. The marquetry cabinet has on its shelves fine specimens of Worcester, Crown Derby, Bow, and Bristol porcelains. The plates and two covered jars with painted floral decoration bordered with gilt on a field of “scale blue” are Worcester of the period of Dr. Wall’s control. Furniture and other objects complete the exhibitions, which consist largely of loans to the Museum. In the small lobby leading to the McIntire Rooms is a Dutch cabinet of the mid-eighteenth century containing a miscellany of small objects, which are for the most part of Dutch silver. Dimensions: length, 34’ 2’; width, 25’ 6”; height, 13’ 2”. Pevai kt! CAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 27 First McIntirE Room From PEAsBopy, Essex County, MAssacHUSsETTS URING the years 1800 and 1801 a house, designed by Samuel McIntire of Salem, was built for Captain Nathaniel and Madam Elizabeth (Derby) West at their country place in South Danvers, now Peabody. The Reverend William Bentley of Salem called on the Wests in October, 1801, and noted his impressions in his diary. “Through the great pasture we passed to the house erected by Mr. West, & executed in the taste & under the direction of his wife, the eldest daughter of the late E(lias) H(askett) Derby. Its front eastward commands a most extensive prospect. The house in front is of two stories with four equal rooms. The apartments are finished in as good order as any I have ever seen. The furniture was rich but never violated the chastity of correct taste. The pictures were excellent. The paper & linen hangings were superb. The movable furniture, rich, uniform, but simple.” In this room, the dining room, the woodwork is complete and original, with the exception of the glazed window sashes which were designed and made at the Museum after careful study. It was necessary to omit the sash of one window for passage through the room. The panel, “Saturday Evening,” over the fireplace is a copy by Corné, an artist brought to Salem from Naples in one of Elias Haskett Derby’s ships, of the painting by William Red- more Bigg exhibited at the Royal Academy, London, in 1792. This panel and its companion piece, “Sunday Morning,” in the parlor are in their original setting. The color of the woodwork is the original, uncovered when successive layers of paint were removed; a small area of this tone, as it was found, is preserved in the room. Dimensions: length, 20’ 4"; width, 200”; height, 10’ 10”. The Cuartes Amos Cummincs Bequest Funp and an Anonymous GIFT, 1997. Pevir RE CAN: -A RTS Ground Floor Exhibition 28 Seconp McIntTrIrE Room From Peasopy, Essex County, MASsAcHUSETTS HE parlor from the house at Peabody stands in the Museum as it was built. Only three replacements were necessary: the floor of painted pine, which is of eighteenth century floor boards, the window sash, and the doorway on the north wall, which is a copyof the original on the adjoining wall. The mantelpiece in every detail is as it was removed from the house, including the lining of soapstone. The painting over the mantelpiece, “Sunday Morning,” is the work of Corné painted from a subject by W. R. Bigg. The ornamental features, modeled in low relief, of the door- way and mantelpiece of this and the other two rooms are of French putty applied to the wood, a characteristic method of the time. By rare good fortune some of the furnishings placed in this house when it was completed in 1801, probably in this room, have come back to their original setting. These are the shield- back Hepplewhite chairs, the pair of Sheraton armchairs, the pair of card tables, the sofa, the firescreen, and a pair of win- dow cornices, all of American workmanship. The secretary of mahogany was probably made in Salem; it was used there and its pigeonholes are labeled with the names of Salem ships. The hangings of damask and the coverings on the furniture are of the period or earlier than that of the room itself. The Turkey carpet of Ushak type is typical of the carpets imported by the merchants of the day. The chandelier with pendants of cut glass is of the late eighteenth century. Dimensions: length, 25’ 10’; width, 20’ 0”; height, 10’ 10’. The Cuartes Amos Cummincs Bequest Funp and an Anonymous Girt, 1922. Ss 2 & ¥ es 2 ca ORE Sse: esedeairtiitc ane en a aeeners goonies PEER OPO Go ese Sina’ AMERICAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 29 Tuirp McIntire Room From Peasopy, Essex County, MASSACHUSETTS be (Bie woodwork of this room, the parlor chamber, is com- plete except for the replacement of the plain panel over the fireplace and the window sashes. One of the four windows has been omitted, as in each of the other rooms. The floor boards were taken from eighteenth century houses. The dado panel in this room, as in the other two rooms, is of one width of white pine. The marble hearth and facing and the soap- stone lining are original parts of the fireplace. The Hepplewhite chairs with elliptical backs, the four-post bed, and the English bow-front commode with its dressing- glass, were originally owned by the Derby family of Peabody. The window and bed hangings are of old Toile de Jouy. The candlesticks on the mantelpiece are of gilded brass and Wedgwood Jasper ware, supporting pendants of cut glass. The carpets are Persian, made about 1800, one of Seraband type, the other Feraghan. Dimensions: length, 25’ 8’; width, 20’0”; height, 10’ 3”. The Cartes Amos Cummincs Bequest Funp and an Anonymous GIFT, 1922, Mie RT CAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 30 Lucy DErRBy FULLER COLLECTION 6 | aes SoutH WALL: On the American sideboard of mahog- any and satinwood, somewhat in the style of Hepple- white, stands a pair of satinwood knife boxes formerly owned by Elias Haskett Derby of Salem, for whom the gilt clock was made by Simon Willard. The fine Hepplewhite chairs in mahogany stand beneath French engravings of the eighteenth century of paintings by H. Fragonard and Mlle. Gerard. At the left of the doorway is an armchair believed to have been made by Duncan Phyfe of New York. On the wall above is an eighteenth century engraving of the Marquise de la Fayette, a companion piece to the one of George Washington on the opposite wall. Against the other walls are chests of drawers in mahogany and maple, four looking-glasses, Hepplewhite chairs, chairs by Duncan Phyfe, a Chippendale chair made in Philadelphia, a card table, and a corner stand, all of the eighteenth or early nineteenth century. The wall case contains Oriental Lowe- stoft plates, some of which bear the monogram of Elias Haskett Derby, and English glassware. The Gift of S. RicHarp FuLier in memory of his wife, Lucy DERBy FULLER. The McIntire doorway formerly stood in the entrance hall of the house in Peabody built for Captain Nathaniel and Elizabeth Derby West. The paneled door is a modern re- placement. Dimensions: length, 24’ 11”; width, 17’ 2”; height, 14’ 0”. The Cuartes Amos Cummincs Bequest Funp and an Anonymous Girt, 1922. Pet TM RI AMERICAN ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 31 SILVER GALLERY a West Watt: Objects in wrought silver, mostly of domestic origin, made by John Coney of Boston (1655— 1722) are shown in Case 311. An unusual piece is the sweet- meat box in repoussé work. The objects in Case 312 are chiefly for ecclesiastical use and were made by Jeremiah Dum- mer (1645-1718) and other early American silversmiths. Tue Nortu Watt: The chest of drawers of mahogany, on which is a case containing silver, was once in the Derby house. The case between the windows contains silver made by the patriot, Paul Revere (1735-1818); in this case is the urn made “To PERPETUATE the Gallant defence Made by Capt. Gamaliel Bradford in the Ship Industry on the 8th July 1800...” A dressing table of mahogany supports a case containing a triple urn in Sheffield plate. Tue East Watt: Case 314 contains silver made by Edward Winslow (1699-1753). A sweetmeat box by Edward Winslow offers an interesting comparison with the one made by John Coney. Over the doorway is a large convex looking-glass with a heavy gilded frame. In Case 315 ecclesiastical silver, most of which was made by John Hull (1624-1683) and Robert Sanderson (1608-1693) individually or during the period of their partnership, is shown with a few domestic pieces made by other seventeenth and early eighteenth century silver- smiths. Tue Sovrn Watt: A secretary of Hepplewhite style stands between two sideboards of mahogany over which hang paintings by Henry Sargent, showing “The Tea Party” and “The Dinner Party,” probably painted in old houses on Beacon Hill. On one sideboard is a silver tea service made by Paul Revere and inscribed ‘“To Edmund Hartt Constructor of the Frigate BOSTON. Presented by a number of his fellow citizens, as a memorial of their sense of his ability, Zeal & Fidelity in the completion of that Ornament of the AMERI- CAN NAVY 1799.” Dimensions: length, 28’ 9’; width, 17’ 2”; height, 14’ 0”. pavirren | CAN “ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 32 SILVER GALLERY HE West WALL: Objects in wrought silver made by Paul Revere and other American silversmiths are shown in the two cases on this wall, over which hang portraits by John Singleton Copley and Gilbert Stuart. Tue Nortu WALL: Two tables of early nineteenth century workmanship in the style of Duncan Phyfe stand under the windows. The large case contains a loan collection of silver made by Paul Revere. Over this case is a girandole mirror in gilt. Tue East Watt: In Case 324 is silver made in Boston during the early part of the eighteenth century. Silver made by Jacob Hurd (1702-1758) is shown in Case 325. Portraits by John Singleton Copley hang over these cases. Tue SoutH Watt: On the mahogany sideboard, date about 1780, stands a silver urn of early nineteenth century Dutch workmanship. This was presented to Charles Bulfinch, the © eminent Boston architect, by the Catholics of Boston on Jan- uary 1, 1806, in recognition of the services rendered by him in drawing the plans for the first Roman Catholic Church built in Massachusetts. A portrait by John Singleton Copley hangs over the sideboard. Dimensions: length, 22’ 6; width, 17’2”; height, 14’ 0”. APM ERI CAN..ARTS Ground Floor Exhibition 33 AMERICAN GALLERY HE doorway exhibited on the south wall is from a house built at Hatfield, Massachusetts, for Lieutenant Elihu White, probably in the year 1762; 1t was later known as ““The Eben White Tavern.” Opposite is a doorway (see illustration) from a house in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, built in 1754 by John Steel for Samuel Colton. At some time before 1921 an ornamental rosette and pendant were removed from the pedi- ment of the doorway and were thought to have been lost. In 1928, due to the generosity of the Connecticut Valley Histori- cal Society, the missing ornament was returned to the door- way; a second one has been made and the lower panel of the right door has been restored. Two other architectural details are exhibited in this stair-hall: an Ionic capital with part of its fluted column, designed by Charles Bulfinch for Faneuil Hall but removed when the building was made fireproof; and a Corinthian capital from a house on Beacon Hill, also believed | to have been the work of Charles Bulfinch. A collection of silver made by Paul Revere with two beakers by Benjamin Burt was given to the Museum by Henry Davis Sleeper in memory of his mother, Maria Westcote Sleeper. Loan collections of Oriental Lowestoft and three- mould American glass are shown in this gallery. Two frag- ments of Toile de Jouy are hung above the cases. A painting by John Smibert hangs over the piano made by Benjamin Crehore of Milton. Dimensions: length, 25’ 3’; width, 17’ 2’; height, 14’ 0”. Note: Rooms 34 to 38 inclusive are occupied by the Offices of the Department and by the Textile Study. Pewee RICAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 39 FRAME FROM IpswicH, Essex County, MAssAcHUSETTS Date, about 1675 ae seventeenth century frame of oak and larch formed the entire second floor of a house which formerly stood at the corner of High and Manning Streets in Ipswich. Although its subdivisions into chambers, stair-hall, and chim- ney space can be closely determined, it has been thought best to use the entire space as a gallery for objects of the seven- teenth century. The second floor of the house has been used because the first floor frame had been mutilated and dam- aged by fire. The timbers were carefully removed from the original site under Museum supervision and have been re-assembled in the same order. A part of the framing and boarding of the third bay fills a space in which stood the original chimney stack. This frame is the longest of its kind known; the girt on the east wall is in one piece, forty-nine feet and three inches long. The windows are, of course, modern but follow closely in detail the construction of authentic examples. The floor is made of old unpainted pine boards removed from early houses. The furniture and other objects shown in this gallery have been lent through the kindness of a group of collectors known as ‘“The Trestle Board.” Dimensions: length, 48’ 8”; width, 19’ 9’; height, 8’ 4’. The Joun LowEtt Garpner Funp, 1925. AMERICAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 40 Room rrom West BoxFrorp, Essex County, MaAssacHuseEtTTs Date, about 1675-1704 ae room from West Boxford, typical of the third quar- ter of the seventeenth century in New England, comes from a house known in recent years as the Brown-Pearl House. The framing timbers and the fireplace lintel are of red oak. The floor and ceiling boards of pine and the bricks belong to the original room. The bevel-edged sheathing of white pine on the fireplace side of the room, removed from other con- temporary houses in Essex County, has the same detail as one original board found in the room when the early woodwork was uncovered under Museum supervision. Inasmuch as the lines of the original fireplace had been obscured by later masonry work, the form of a well-authenticated fireplace of the period has been adopted,—that from the house built by Abraham Browne, Jr., in 1663 at Watertown, Massachusetts. The casement window has been made after an original frame at the Browne House. The plasterwork simulates the white- washed walls of our oldest houses. The objects in the room are placed with an attempt to display the better furnishings of the period in a house occupied by a well-to-do family. Among the furnishings of the hall, as the living-room was called, in Captain John Corwin’s house at Salem as inventoried in 1684-5, were: 1 Looking Glase 1 screne with 5 leaves & covering 3 tables 1 old small Turky worke carpet 1 Turky worke carpet 1 armed chair 8 leather chairs 1 great candlestick 5 stra bottomed chairs 1 pr. Great Dogs & 1 iron back 1 clocke 1 window curtaine & rod 1 pr. Tongs, Shovle fire & small Tongs & Toster Dimensions: length, 19’ 6”; width, 19’ 3; height, 7’ 10”. The Jonn Lowett Garpner Funp, 1925. eee AMERICAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 41 Pine PANELING FROM EssEx County Houses Date, about 1700 re this alcove the old sheathing of white pine, with its moulded and beveled edges, came from several early houses of Essex County, Massachusetts. It has been installed with the characteristic use of boxed posts and girts, and although it is a carefully studied use of original material, it is not to be viewed as a particular room from a known house. The furniture is of American workmanship of the early eighteenth century. A “tuck-away”’ table in walnut and pine stands beneath the window, the hangings of which are Indian printed cotton of the period. The corner cupboard of pine contains English and American pewter. A painting of the armorial bearings of the Greene family, in its original frame of the eighteenth century, hangs over the oak desk on which is a “puzzle pitcher” of Delft ware. On the tavern table is a Delft dish on hand-woven linen. The brass clock was made | in London by Thomas Tompion (1638-1713). The map, en- graved in Holland, shows a conception of New England’s seacoast in the beginning of the eighteenth century. Although probably contrary to the practice of this period, it has been necessary to show the map under glass and in a modern frame at the Museum. Chairs and stools of maple and oak complete the furnishings. Dimensions: length, 13’ 7’; width, 12’ 10’; height, 7’ 4”. AMERICAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 42 Prine Room rrom West Boxrorp, Essex County, MASssAcHUSETTS Date, about 1725 jee addition of the Brown-Pearl House at West Boxford, probably built about 1725, contained the fire- place paneling, the doorway, and girt casings in this alcove. The woodwork of white pine, never painted, has acquired the soft brown tone which only time can bring. The bolection mouldings and the cupboard with an arched opening are characteristic of interior woodwork made in New England during the first quarter of the eighteenth century. The bricks and hearth tiles were brought from the house. No windows of this period remained in the house. The furniture is American made during the earlier part of the eighteenth century. Two pieces of Delft ware are shown in the room: An iron candlestand, lent for the Opening Exhibition, is signed by B. Gerrish with the date 1736. Dimensions: length, 13’ 5”; width, 13’ 3”; height, 7! 4’. The Joun Lowe.t Garpner Funp, 1925. pee Dey MER RICAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 43 AMERICAN GALLERY qe Soutu WALL: A chest-on-frame is shown at each side of the doorway; both are of the early eighteenth century in the William and Mary style. They are both made of maple and walnut; one has mahogany veneer, the other is veneered with Amboyna wood. Hanging above the chests are portraits by John Smibert, and over the doorway is a panel of needle- work, in its original frame, showing an open book with ‘“The Ten Commandments” and a border embroidered with flowers and birds. It was made by Elizabeth Bennet in 1736. Tur East Watt: On the pier between the alcoves is a looking-glass of the Queen Anne period in a walnut frame, with a banister-back chair beneath. At the extreme left is the door, with its brass box-lock and wrought-iron hinges, from the parlor of the Jaffrey House. Tue Nortu Watt: A portrait by John Smibert hangs over a chest-on-frame of mahogany. On the chest is a small brass- . bound box of mahogany with the engraved date 1724; it is said that this was once owned by John Coburn, the silver- smith. In the modern cupboard is glass of the eighteenth century. Tue West Watt: A portrait by John Badger hangs at the right. Between the windows a looking-glass with walnut frame, made about 1710, hangs over a mahogany writing cabinet on which are brass candlesticks, all of the William and Mary period. Other examples of American furniture of the earlier half of the eighteenth century are shown beneath the windows. The lanterns hung in this gallery were designed and made in the Museum, copying an old model. Dimensions: length, 31’ 0”; width, 11’ 2”; height, 10’ 5”. AMERICAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 44 Room rrom PorTsMouTH, RockincHAm County, NEw HAmpsHIRE ae house owned by George Jaffrey was built during the second quarter of the eighteenth century on land ad- joining the business center of modern Portsmouth. The room shown at the Museum is the parlor of that house and bears a close analogy to others known to have been built during the mid-eighteenth century. The room presents an ensemble rep- resentative of a mansion house of about the year 1750. Since all early woodwork is exposed to the changes of time, it is remarkable that this room stands in the Museum without restoration of any kind; even the floor boards are relaid as they were taken from the room by the Museum's workmen. It was necessary to repaint the woodwork in the original color, which is still preserved, and to omit one window to permit passage through the room. The wallpaper is con- temporary French paper of Chinoiserie pattern attributed to Pillement; a similar paper was formerly in the Jaffrey House. Most of the furniture of the room was made by American craftsmen not later than 1750, but occasional English pieces are appropriate here. The carpet is of Ushak type from Asia Minor, the use of which at this period is clearly shown in the works of contemporary portrait painters. The crimson hang- ings are damask of the eighteenth century with a Chinoiserie pattern. Their ornamental braid, cords, and tassels are the only modern materials in the room. The lambrequins are of an English design of the mid-eighteenth century somewhat simplified. Dimensions: length, 18’0’; width, 17’ 8”; height, 10’ Oc Henry Liu Pierce Resipuary Funp and Contributions from J. TempLemaN Cooutpce and Cuartes H. Tyter, 1920. PriRI CAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 45 Mip-EIGHTEENTH CENTURY GALLERY Aye. of the arts of the mid-eighteenth century is shown in this gallery. The cupboard of painted pine in the south-west corner was removed from the George Jaffrey House in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; its probable date is 1730. The external surface of the cupboard has been repainted in the original color; the shelves and niche have been painted in the original color scheme of another cupboard of the period. The glazed door is modern, the original door hangs on the wall at the right. The exhibition case in the opposite corner was designed and made at the Museum. Tur Sour Watt: The four needlework panels with their original frames were made by Mrs. Benjamin Pickman in 1740. The hangings at the window are of French printed cotton of the eighteenth century. A child’s tea set of Oriental Lowestoft is placed on a mahogany chest of drawers. Tue East Watt: Of the three portraits by John Singleton Copley, the center one is of George Jaffrey, the original owner of the Jaffrey House in Portsmouth. A block-front high chest of walnut, two “lowboys,” a desk, a high chest of mahogany, and chairs of Chippendale design complete the exhibition. Tue Nortru Watt: A case contains objects made chiefly for domestic use of wrought silver. A large bowl by William Homes was presented on September 13, 1763, to Thomas Dawes by the Field Officers and Captains of the Regiment of the Town of Boston for his services. An unusual piece is the “potato ring” made by Myers of New York. On each side of the case is a pastel portrait by John Singleton Copley, and an armchair. Tue West Watt: A portrait by John Singleton Copley hangs over a slant top desk of mahogany. Between the windows is a mahogany desk over which hangs a large looking- glass of mahogany with ornamental carving in gilt. Chests of drawers are placed beneath the windows. Dimensions: length, 33’ 11"; width, 25’7”; height, 10’ 5’. AMERICAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 46 Room From FISKDALE, Worcester County, MAssacHUSETTS Date, about 1740 w the Post Road, about two miles south of the town of Fiskdale, stands a house known as “The Shumway House.” Although it has suffered losses architecturally through change and neglect, there is ample evidence that it was once a fine house of the earlier half of the eighteenth century, probably about 1740. The paneling of two walls, in the southeast parlor, all that remained, was removed in 1925 and afterwards pur- chased by the Museum. In design, a kinship with contempo- rary work in Connecticut is apparent, an influence accounted for in the nearness of Fiskdale to the northern boundary of that State. The woodwork of pitch-pine has never been painted. The fireplace side and the adjoining north wall are original, the dado on the east wall is modern. The brick hearth and floor boards of painted pine are of the eighteenth century, although not originally in this room. The fireplace of granite is a care- fully made copy of the one at Fiskdale; an iron fireback of the eighteenth century has been placed against its back wall. The interesting arrangement of drawers over the fireplace is, as far as known, unique. The room contains American furniture in maple, walnut, cherry, and pine, of the earlier part of the eighteenth century. In the gallery space outside this alcove are other examples of American furniture, and in the modern cupboard are a few small objects made by American silversmiths. Dimensions: length, 15’ 3’; width, 13’ 10”; height, 7’ 10”. The HELEN and ALice CoLsurn Funp, 1925. mrp RT CAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 47 Room FrroM MARBLEHEAD, Essex County, MASSACHUSETTS Date, about 1730 a [Bae room, with its four walls completely paneled, is the north-east parlor of the Orne House on State Street in the Town of Marblehead. Its details are clearly of an early date and, although the actual year in which it was built is still to be ascertained, local tradition which assigns it to 1730 is probably not far amiss. The paneled walls are complete as they were taken from the house, with the necessary restoration of the bolection moulding surrounding the fireplace opening, which had been removed to make way for a mantelpiece of the late nineteenth century; the new bolection moulding 1s based on contempo- rary examples found in Marblehead. The pair of doors in the lower part of the china cupboard and the window sash are modern. The floor boards, hearth tiles, and bricks are of the eighteenth century. The paneling of white pine is painted in a color similar to that uncovered when later painting was removed. The lowest shelf of the cupboard and the seat- boards in the window embrasures are of mahogany. The furniture in the room is characteristic of the first quarter of the eighteenth century and is mostly of walnut. The clock in its japanned case has brass works made by Philip Burchett of London. A small Ispahan carpet, probably made in the latter part of the sixteenth century, 1s placed before the hearth. The cupboard contains English pottery and porcelain mostly of the mid-eighteenth century. The interesting andirons with matching fire tools are of bell- metal. Dimensions: length, 16’ 0’; width, 16’ 10”; height, 8’ 4”. The Gift of Mrs. Georce H. Davenport, 1927. AMERICAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 48 Room From Batu, SAGADAHOC County, MAINE Date, about 1803 ya HOUSE known as Shepard’s Inn stood on Washington Street in the city of Bath until 1927. Just prior to the razing of the house to make way for a modern building, the Museum acquired the woodwork and wall paper of the parlor. As far as can be determined, the woodwork dates from the year 1803, and the paper was put on the walls the following year. They are seen in the Museum as they have stood since that time,-except for the omission of one window. The wall paper consists of parts of two sets printed in Paris; one is*a Directoire paper believed to have been, issued by Arthur and Robert and known as “Le Parc Francais”; the other, with costumes in color, is as yet unidentified. The furnishings of the room, with a few exceptions, are the gift of Mr. Pickman. All the furniture is American, and mostly of Sheraton design. The hangings of yellow silk and the chair coverings are of late eighteenth century. The carpet 1s Persian, of Feraghan type, of the eighteenth century. Dimensions: length, 16’ 10”; width, 1637s" hemht: 9: 6". The Gift of Duptey Leavitt Pickman, 1927. Pe tte AMERICAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 49 GALLERY OF MAPLE FURNITURE Giles that is distinctly American, either in form or material, is exhibited in this small gallery adjoining the room from Bath. The chests of drawers, cupboards, desk, gateleg table, and chairs are made of maple and pine, and nearly all the cabinet pieces display the use of curly maple. The objects of this gallery were, with a few exceptions, lent or given by Mr. Dudley Leavitt Pickman. Dimensions: length, 20’ 11; width, 13’ 5”; height, 12’ 6”. mene Bb RIECAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 50 GALLERY OF FURNITURE AND PEWTER A COLLECTION of American pewter is shown in the large exhibition case. The dinner service of Oriental Lowe- stoft, bearing the arms of the Sargent family, in the butler’s secretary, dating from the first quarter of the nineteenth cen- tury, has been lent for the Opening Exhibition. American furniture, mostly of the late eighteenth century, is also placed in this gallery. 2 Dimensions: length, 24’ 10”; width, 17’ 1”; height, 12’ 6”. Soeeae ee SN AMERICAN ARTS Court Floor Exhibition 51 THE SEASONS WALL PAPER