Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
1990.1.1 |
Object Name |
Table, Sewing |
Description |
Enfield sewing table with 6-drawer gallery. Legs are square in cross section from their top to just below the skirts, were they transition to a round cross section with a ring at transition. The table top is pine and has a trim piece with mitered corners applied around all 4 edges. The trim is flush with the top except for the area under the gallery where it is proud and helps locate the gallery. The initials "HA" are carved into the applied trim board in the back, under the gallery.The table top is pocket screwed and glued with a large number of glue blocks as well. Table has poplar legs, while side and back skirts are pine. Drawer runners are inboard of the side skirts with a significant gap. None of the joinery at the leg tops appears to be pegged. Bottom shelf is supported with two rather slender ash stretchers morticed into the leg, but apparently not pegged or nailed to the leg. The shelf itself is cut to match the arc of the leg but not morticed into the leg. The shelf is nailed to the ash stretchers, but a couple nails have missed. There are tack holes around the top of the skirt on back and sides as well as under the front drawer as if there was a dust skirt applied at one time. The table drawer has no lip and sits in flush into the front. The drawer dovetails are made with quite narrow pins. The drawer knob has a tenon to secure it to the drawer front. The bottom of the legs are faceted as if trimmed with a knife. The table came with extensions designed to raise the height which are made of three pieces of wood, an upper and lower turned piece connected with a central dowel. Turning is very rough. It may be that the table was made for use with castors, and these pieces are late, or post, Shaker to raise the table height in the absence of the castors. The gallery is very finely made. The case and drawers are pine. The upper edges of the case are joined with very fine half-blind dovetails with quite narrow pins. The gallery has 6 drawers with dividers that are joined in the "V" shape seen on other Enfield pieces, and the front edges of the case and dividers are rounded. The sides of the gallery case are shaped into brackets at the front bottom of the gallery, one is broken and repaired and the other is missing. Upper proper right drawer has a lock. Two drawers have inner dividers. One drawer has a diamond shape cut roughly into the front around the knob giving the effect of a big escutcheon, but is likely an old repair. The gallery drawer knobs all have tenons to secure them to the drawer fronts. Below the drawers are open cubby holes, two on the proper right and one large one on the proper left. The joinery of the dividers in this area is entirely different than the drawer dividers and suggest that it was an afterthought. These dividers are not joined with the "V" shaped joints, the vertical divider is butted to the bottom of the drawer frame above it and the horizontal shelf is set into square dados of uneven depth. The lower dividers are not the same thickness, nor are their front edges rounded as nicely as the drawer dividers above them. This piece has an overall feeling of fineness and delicacy, with several very common Enfield features. It also has some non-typical components and unusual joinery which gives it an air of mystery as well. |
Credit line |
Gift of the Estate of James G. Harvey |
Dimensions |
H-39.5 W-28.875 D-27.125 inches |
Dimension Details |
Width and depth are measured at the table work surface, height is to the top of the gallery without the boots in place. |
Material |
Pine/Poplar/Hardwood/Brass/Iron/Paint |
Place made |
Enfield, NH Shaker Village |
Lexicon category |
2: Building Furnishings |
Lexicon sub-category |
Furniture |
Linked documents |
Click here to watch a video about Enfield sewing desks on the museum's Youtube channel. |