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Sideboard

DATE:
1790–1810
MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUE:
Mahogany, pine, birch, and maple
CLASSIFICATION:
Furnishings
DIMENSIONS:
Overall: 39 7/8 x 66 5/8 x 27 3/8 in. (101.27 x 169.21 x 69.52 cm.)
DEPARTMENT:
Decorative Arts and Design
LOCATION:
American Art - 18th–19th Century, Level 4
CREDIT LINE:
Dallas Museum of Art, The Faith P. and Charles L. Bybee Collection, Gift of the Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation
COPYRIGHT:
Image courtesy Dallas Museum of Art.
OBJECT NUMBER:
1985.B.38

General Description

Sideboards were novel forms in late 18th-century America, as dedicated rooms for dining-and their associated furnishings-were unusual features in homes (prior to this time, dining usually took place in a multipurpose room). Used for storage as well as the display of tableware and elaborate foodstuffs, sideboards typically served multiple uses before, during, and following a meal. The lower right drawer of this example is fitted with dividers to store liquor bottles.

Excerpt from

Kevin W. Tucker, DMA unpublished material, Label text (1985.B.38), 2006.

Fun Facts

Branded into the back of the sideboard is the name "Arthur Little." While no history of provenance accompanied the piece, it seems likely the sideboard was once part of the collection of the noted Boston Colonial Revival architect of that name.
Federal
dining
display rooms and spaces
food
mahogany (wood)
pine (wood)
sideboards (furniture)

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