Dressing Table
Unknown Artist
1780–1810
Medium
Mahogany, tulip poplar
Dimensions
29 5/8 x 35 1/2 x 21 5/8 in. (75.2 x 90.2 x 54.9 cm)
Classification
Dressing Table
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1918
Accession Number
18.110.2
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of early American domestic life with this elegant dressing table, crafted between 1780 and 1810 by an unknown artisan. Measuring a compact 29⅝ × 35½ × 21⅝ inches, it features a graceful form typical of Federal-period furniture, designed for personal grooming in a lady's bedroom. Its mahogany veneer over tulip poplar construction highlights the era's masterful cabinetmaking, where imported mahogany—a prized tropical hardwood symbolizing wealth and sophistication—was layered atop abundant local tulip poplar for structural strength and affordability. Produced during t...