Fall-front Secretary Cabinet
Maker
Herter Brothers
(American, 1863 - 1905)
ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS
Dateca. 1878
Mediumebony, ebonized maple, mahogany, figured birch, gilding, cloisonné
Dimensions65 × 38 × 16 1/2 in. (165.1 × 96.5 × 41.9 cm.)
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with funds from the Art Collectors' Council
Label TextHerter Brothers, headed by German emigre Gustave Herter (1830-1898) and his half-brother Christian (1839-1883), produced some of New York's finest furniture in a rich and eclectic array of styles in the post-Civil War era. The firm's high level of artisanship and design are evident in this cabinet, which features cloisonne panels imported from Japan depicting chrysanthemums, lotus blossoms, a butterfly, and a dragonfly--highly symbolic flora and fauna in traditional Japanese culture--inserted into an ebony-veneered front. Japonesque motifs became especially popular in the West after American naval ships forced the opening of Japan to Western trade in 1853. Status
On viewObject number2000.12
There are no works to discover for this record.