Description:

Rare Pair of Santo Domingo Mahogany Armoires, late 18th/early 19th c., molded cornice, flush panel doors, adjustable shelf interior, scalloped apron, notched cabriole legs, hoof feet, h. 70 in., w. 56 1/2 in., 23 in. Provenance: Schwartz Antiques, Philadelphia, c. 1980. Note: This pair of armoires is illustrated and discussed in Furnishing Louisiana as one of the few surviving examples of early West Indian flush-panel construction. The technique was brought to Louisiana by émigré craftsmen and would become a defining characteristic of the Creole style. An interior plaque on one armoire indicates they were made by St. Domingue cabinetmakers, reading: Made by slaves on the estate of Etienne Bellumeaude in San Domingo prior to 1770/Adelaide de la Vincendiere Lowe Jenkins 1820/Enouch Louis Lowe 1861/Adelaide Lowe Jenkins 1892/Mary Adelaide Jenkins 1918. The overall form, the flush-panel construction, v-shaped door rails, shaped skirts, and rounded cornices of the present lot are nearly identical to those on an armoire made circa 1796 for Stephen Girard by two St. Domingue émigrés, Jean-Baptiste Laurent and Charles Domballe, working in Philadelphia (Fig. 7) and a similar armoire that descended in the de la Vergne family of New Orleans (Fig. 6). Ref.: Holden, Jack, et. al. Furnishing Louisiana, Creole and Acadian Furniture, 1735-1835. New Orleans: The Historic New Orleans Collection, 2010, pp.129-134, Fig. 6 and 7.; Schwarz Gallery American Paintings and Decorative Arts pp. 47-48.

Shipping Options

Invaluable Shipping

  • Expert Care packing and Shipping
  • Shipment Protection
  • Real-time tracking

Arrange your own

  • You will coordinate with us to arrange your own shipping

Local pickup

  • You will coordinate with us and arrange pick up time after payment.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

February 20, 2016 10:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

Neal Auction Company

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 28% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $49,999 $500
$50,000 $999,999 $5,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $10,000
$2,000,000 $2,999,999 $15,000
$3,000,000 + $20,000