Description:

American Late Classical Carved Mahogany Sofa, c. 1820s, Boston, attr. to Vose and Son, carving probably by Thomas Wightman, carved crest rail, blocked bracketed uprights, molded seat rail, acanthus carved feet, inset casters, h. 33 1/2 in., w. 81 1/2 in., d. 26 1/2 in Note: This late Classical sofa is the epitome of the style and grace that permeated everyday life in Boston in the 1820s. With its broad, flat expanses of mahogany and exuberantly carved foliate motifs, this sofa stands as a fine example of French Restauration-style furniture coming out of Boston. It is most likely the work of the expert cabinet making firm, Isaac Vose and Son, with carving by Thomas Wightman, whose documented work on an 1823 sofa, now at the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, shows the same fluidity of carving and similarly carved bulbous feet. Boston's Late Classical furniture, such as this sofa, was inspired by objects discovered at the ancient cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. An eight volume book of engravings titled “Le Antichità di Ercolano Esposte” published between 1757 and 1792 showing artwork and furnishings uncovered at Herculaneum changed the face of style across both Europe and America. At Herculaneum, one dwelling, now known as the “House of Carbonized Furniture,” contains the remnants of a boxy “dining sofa” with high side arms, and broad flat planes that could be the impetus for this Boston sofa form. Vose and Son was one of the largest cabinetmaking firms in Boston and was the primary furniture manufactory for the city's wealthiest families. After Isaac Vose Sr. died in 1823, Vose Jr. hired Thomas Seymour to run the furniture making side of the business while Vose Jr. concentrated his talents on importing stylish furnishings from England and Europe. In the March 3, 1824 edition of the Columbian Centinel, Vose advertised that “their cabinet manufactory is under the direction of Mr. Thomas Seymour and all orders for furniture will receive as good attention as heretofore” and that they had “for sale 30,000 feet of San Domingo and Bay mahogany, well seasoned and sawed expressly for Carpenter's use.” (Jane Nylander, “Vose and Coats, Cabinetmakers,” Old- Time New England 64: 235 (1974) p. 88.)

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September 12, 2015 10:00 AM CDT
New Orleans, LA, US

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Bid Increments
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$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