Side chair
Unknown Artist
1760–90
Medium
Mahogany, white oak, yellow pine
Dimensions
40 x 21 3/4 x 21 1/2 in. (101.6 x 55.2 x 54.6 cm)
Classification
Side chair
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Cecile L. Mayer, 1962
Accession Number
62.171.19
Art Historical Context
This elegant side chair, crafted by an unknown American artisan between 1760 and1790, exemplifies the furniture of the late colonial era. Standing at 40 inches tall, it was designed for comfort and grace in the homes of prosperous colonists, likely serving as part of a dining set or parlor grouping. Displayed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, it entered the collection through the generous bequest of Cecile L Mayer in 1962. Constructed from mahogany for the primary frame— a luxurious imported wood from the Caribbean that signified wealth and status—paired with sturdy white oak...