Armchair
Decorative Arts and Design

Armchair
Artwork Details
Artist/Maker
Unidentified American Maker, probably New York
Date
ca. 1875
Medium
Ebony, aspen, and yellow pine with marquetry of ivory and mother-of-pearl
Accession #
1983.196
Dimensions
38 3/4 x 26 3/4 x 35 inches
Location
On View - Stent Family Wing, Level 3, Gallery 305
Description
This armchair is a finely crafted 1870s interpretation of a form generally associated with early-nineteenth-century European and American Neoclassical furniture. Elaborate marquetry had become the height of fashion in New York by the 1870s. The line of bell flowers on each arm is typical of Neoclassical furniture decoration. The marquetry on the sides complements the classical shape of the chair as it depicts Hercules with his shield and spear as he battles the Nemean lion. The back of the chair bears the Kennedy coat of arms, and was possibly first owned by David Sprout Kennedy.