Desk and bookcase, ca. 1779
Workshop of Nathaniel Gould (American, 1734–1782)
American; Salem, Massachusetts
Mahogany, white pine
Technical Glossary
Workshop of Nathaniel Gould (American, 1734–1782)
American; Salem, Massachusetts
Mahogany, white pine
105 x 45 x 24 in. (266.7 x 114.3 x 61 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Russell Sage, 1909 (10.125.81a)
This tall and stately secretary, fashioned of the finest figured mahogany, is a masterpiece from the shop of Nathaniel Gould, the leading cabinetmaker of Salem, Massachusetts, in the third quarter of the eighteenth century. When Gould died in 1781, he was called a gentleman, having sometime before given up working with his hands. On an inside surface, the desk and bookcase bear the enigmatic inscription: "Nath Gould not his work." Presumably a master joiner in his shop wrote these words so that posterity would not credit Gould himself with actually having crafted the piece.
