ITEM SW00719: A Magnificent Sheraton Carved Mahogany Dressing Bureau with Brass Inlay,
Salem, Massachusetts, McIntyre school, c.1810

This dressing table is the finest Salem dressing table we have ever seen, and easily matches up to the best of the BostonSeymour school. Please view an attached comparative of a typical Boston Seymour dressing table and our Salem model. Note the mirror brackets--which are twice as large as those found on the Boston example--and the magnificent acanthus carving and rosettes carved out of the same solid block as the bracket itself, not merely carved afterward and applied (see detail). The carved broken arch pediment with giltwood eagle above the mirror and central panel with reeded frame complete the tour de force mirror presentation. Equally impressive is the actual case with the carved and punchworked collonettes the three upper drawers (see detail). If this weren't enough, the motif is repeated once again in greater scale as carved capitals below the second tier of drawers with the remaining two drawers recessed below which provides a visual slimming of the piece (see side view). Also note the beautifully carved acanthus element with typical punchwork background above the legs (see detail).

Furthermore, the drawers are edged in brass instead of contrasting woods, the former of which was popular at this time in the early 19th century, particularly in continental French work.

We have been able to locate another example of the Salem dressing chest and mirror, and that was at the Flayderman sale in 1931 (see attached). Note, while that example and ours both have double carved acanthus/wheat collonettes above the front legs, ours has a recessed lower set of drawers, as opposed to all being on the same plane, and a figured wood panel above the lower carved acanthus element. And, our example further has this panel repeated above the mirror, flanked by scrolls which is non-existent in this illustrated example. The grand flow of our mirror brackets speak for themselves.

We feel this is a major casepiece produced in Salem in the early 19th century, showing Salem as a city capable of producing great masterpieces.

Height: 72 in. Width: 39 1/2 in.
Depth: 19 3/4 in.

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