Dressing glass

Status

On view

Date1725-1750

Geography Made - England

Medium/TechniqueWalnut veneer (primary), walnut, oak, unidentified softwood (secondary), brass, gesso, gilt, glass

DimensionsOverall (H x W x D): 27 1/8 in. x 17 5/8 in. x 8 1/16 in. (68.9 cm x 44.77 cm x 20.48 cm)

Credit LinePurchased by the A. Alfred Taubman Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2004

Object numberM-4365

DescriptionDressing glass with rectangular swinging looking glass with shaped top between straight, canted, tapered standards attached to a box with three short drawers across a shaped front with a projecting lower edge with a drop at front center and four bracket feet. The veneered, ogee-molded mirror frame with an applied, gilt, acanthus-leaf sight edge has a peaked center top and rounded ears. Ring-pull thumbscrews with brass escutcheons secure the mirror within the standards. The standards are beaded on both sides of their front face and have a domed finial at top. Book-matched veneer with an internal border of herringbone or feathered inlay covers the top of the box. The drawer opening is outlined with beading. The veneered drawer fronts have internal borders of herringbone or feather inlay around the centers and circular escutcheons with ring-pulls. The center drawer also features a cast brass escutcheon to the lock front.

A three piece, vertical backing board is nailed to the back of the mirror. The standards are tenoned through the top of the box and supported at back with ogee-supports glued to the top of the case. The veneered sideboards of the box are dovetailed to the top and bottom boards and the back is nailed to them. On each drawer, the fronts are dovetailed to the sides. The back is glued to the sides and base. The bottom is nailed to the front and back, and the sides are nailed to the side edge of the drawer bottom. Wedge-shaped, vertical strips have been glued in each of the back corners, and quarter-round strips have been glued around the inside, lower edge of each drawer. The drawer partitions extend to the back of the case, and each drawer rides on the bottom board of the box. Square chips have been glued to the inside, back of the box within each of the partitions, two within the center section and one chip within each of the side sections, to act as drawer stops. The mitered feet are nailed to the box. A wedge-shaped vertical glue block supports the proper right rear foot and the ghost of a similar block is present behind the proper right front foot. The pendant drop is glued to the case and has a supporting block behind it.

Published References

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