Desk, Work

Description

Sewing desk of post and panel construction. Posts and other frame components of cherry. Panels, gallery top, desk top, drawers, drawer guides, supports, etc., of white pine. Nine small gallery drawers are joined by nailing sides into rabbets in fronts to butted end nailed to backs. Bottoms nailed in. Three desk drawers, also all of pine, are joined by dovetail joints and bottoms slide in dadoes in the sides and front and are held in place by nails into bottom of back. Gallery drawers have a single porcelain knob for each; desk drawers each have two larger porcelain knobs. Desk drawers all have half-mortise locks with commercial face-turned walnut escutcheons. Clear finished. Each drawer is numbered in the back in pencil, 1 through 9.

Notes

Belonged to Eldress Anna Case of the Watervliet, NY, Shakers. Because of the Watervliet, New York provenance, this piece has been attributed to Freegift Wells. However, Elder Giles Avery of the Ministry took up cabinet work in Wells shop while at Watervliet and should also be considered as the possible maker. A cutting list for parts for a similar piece written by Avery is in the collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society.