ticketsMember | Make a donation

Cabinet

1679
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774
The ornamentation composed of applied elements and geometric patterns of moldings on the door of this small cabinet achieves a distinctly architectural effect. Several different kinds of wood were employed; originally, they differed in color, adding to the complexity of the scheme. Carving, the other major method of decoration used on seventeenth-century style colonial furniture, adorns the sides of the piece. This is one of four similar cabinets attributed to the tradition of joinery brought to Salem, Massachusetts, by John Symonds, who came to Salem in 1636 from Yarmouth, England. The octagonal sunburst motif on the door was a geometric design favored by the Symonds shops. The center plaque on the door is inscribed with the date [16]79 and the initials of the original owners, probably Ephraim and Mary Herrick of Beverly, Massachusetts. Behind the locked door are ten small drawers of varying sizes meant for the safekeeping of documents and small valuables of all kinds.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cabinet
  • Date: 1679
  • Geography: Made in Salem, Massachusetts, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Red oak, white pine, black walnut, red cedar, maple
  • Dimensions: 18 x 17 x 10 in. (45.7 x 43.2 x 25.4 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Russell Sage, 1909
  • Object Number: 10.125.168
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Banister-back chair, Maple, American
Banister-back chair
American
1715–35
Side Chair, Samuel McIntire American, Mahogany, ebony, ash, birch, white pine, American
Side Chair
Samuel McIntire
1794–99
Firescreen, Samuel Phippen American, Mahogany, holly, ebony, American
Firescreen
Samuel Phippen
1785–95
High chest of drawers, Black walnut, maple, poplar, hickory, white pine, American
High chest of drawers
American
1700–1730
Chest of Drawers, Oak, pine, cedar, walnut, American
Chest of Drawers
American
1675–1700

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Showing 4 of 5

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.