Furniture Hardware
Although many examples of early furniture brasses have survived, little is known about where and by whom these objects were produced, as very few of the pieces bear marks of any kind. It is likely that much of the furniture hardware used in America was actually imported from England, where the craftsmen who produced such objects were more accustomed to working with small, delicate objects than their counterparts in America. Indeed, it is improbable that any significant amount of furniture brass was made on this continent before the middle of the eighteenth century. The present group of some eighty pieces of ormolu brass furniture hardware comes from the workshop of Henry Kellam Hancock, a Boston cabinetmaker. Dating from the 1820s, the pieces are of American, French, and English manufacture. The wife of Mr. Hancock's great-grandson donated the group to the Museum.
Artwork Details
- Title: Furniture Hardware
- Retailer: Henry Kellam Hancock (1816–1851)
- Date: 1820–30
- Geography: Possibly made in France; Possibly made in England
- Medium: Gilt brass
- Dimensions: 2 3/8 x 2 7/8 in. (6 x 7.3 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Edward Hunting Smith, 1968
- Object Number: Inst.68.8.58
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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Henry Kellam Hancock (1816–1851)
1820–30
Henry Kellam Hancock (1816–1851)
1820–30
Henry Kellam Hancock (1816–1851)
1820–30
Henry Kellam Hancock (1816–1851)
1820–30
Henry Kellam Hancock (1816–1851)
1820–30
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