A Five-piece Bedroom Suite

late 19th century

A five-piece bedroom suite (American, late 19th century) designed by Ogden Codman, Jr. (American, 1863-1951) and attributed to the manufacturer A. H. Davenport Co., Boston and East Cambridge, MA. The set consists of a three-quarter bed (.1a-d), a chest-of-drawers (.2a-b), a bedside cupboard (.3a-b), a kneehole dressing table (.4a-b), and a writing table (.5). All the pieces are composed of carved walnut, the case furniture has mottled red and white marble tops.

.1a-d – A three-quarter bed with a paneled headboard surmounted by a tall cresting with scrolled sides. The cresting has an oval medallion at center topped by a stylized shell and is framed by flowers and foliage. The paneled footboard has a molded horizontal top rail. The side rails are also molded and are carved at the corners with foliage and bell flowers. The bed is raised on four square shaped tapered feet with gadrooned collars.

.2a-b – A chest-of-drawers with a rectangular shaped marble top with outset front corners and a molded edge. It contains four graduated paneled long drawers with crossbow shaped fronts. The drawers are each fitted with two ormolu drop handles. The chest-of-drawers has projecting fluted corners and is raised on four short legs with pieds de biche (hoof) feet surmounted by foliage.

.3a-b – A bedside cupboard with a square marble top and molded edge. The slightly bowed front contains a paneled drawer in the frieze and a cupboard below. The drawer and cupboard door are fitted with foliate ormolu knob pulls. The frame has fluted molded corners above four block paneled tapered legs with gadrooned collars. The legs are joined by a cruciform shaped stretcher.

.4a-b – A kneehole dressing table with a rectangular marble top and molded edge. Flanking pedestals with slightly bowed fronts each contain three drawers, at center is a paneled frieze with a recessed cupboard below. The pedestal drawers are fitted with ormolu drop handles and the cupboard door with a foliate knob pull. The frame has fluted molded corners above six block paneled tapered legs with gadrooned collars. The legs are joined by a cruciform shaped stretcher.

.5 – A writing table with a rectangular top and molded edge, below is a paneled frieze. The frieze is carved on the front at center with an oval medallion surrounded by a foliate wreath and flanked by branches (similar to the cresting decoration on the bed). The fluted corners of the table lead to four block paneled tapered legs with gadrooned collars and carved foliate decoration at the bottom. The legs are joined by a shaped and molded Y-shaped stretcher carved at the center with a stylized shell flanked by scrolling leaves.

American

walnut

marble

ormolu

.1a-d (bed) = 63.5" x 61" x 81.5"

.2a-b (chest-of-drawers) = 35.75" x 54.5" x 24.25"

.3a-b (bedside cupboard) = 29.75" x 19.5" x 20"

.4a-b (kneehole dressing table) = 33” x 48” 23.5”

.5 (writing table) = 29.5" x 48" x 30"

Gift of Countess Alice S. Hadik, 1973.

PSNC.2937.1a-d - .5