Description

Few forms capture the domestic optimism of the early American Federal interior quite like the painted fancy dressing table, and this example delivers that spirit in full. Constructed of pine and maple in the New England tradition, the piece retains its original black-painted ground — now beautifully mellowed to a deep ebony-brown — enriched throughout with gold pinstriping and, most compellingly, a boldly stenciled floral bouquet centered on the backsplash. The decoration is bold yet refined: pineapples, roses, and leafy sprays rendered in burnt orange and umber against the dark ground, in the manner associated with the fancy furniture trade that flourished from Connecticut to Maine in the decades following the War of 1812.

Backsplash & Top

The shaped backsplash is the piece’s showpiece — its scrolled, volute-ended crest echoing the fashionable Grecian forms then filtering into American taste through Sheraton’s later pattern books. The stenciled bouquet is well-preserved and boldly legible, retaining strong color and crisp detail despite two centuries of use. The table top is lipped on three sides, creating a shallow gallery, and retains traces of pinstriped decoration along its edges.

Drawer

A single drawer fitted with a turned wood knob — original and consistent with the period’s fancy furniture aesthetic — runs the full width of the case. The drawer construction is straightforward and honest, with a pine secondary wood box showing good hand workmanship. The painted front is decorated with gold pinstripe banding, integrating it neatly into the overall decorative scheme.

Legs & Turnings

Four slender ring-and-baluster turned legs taper elegantly to small turned feet — a hallmark of the Sheraton-influenced fancy furniture of the 1815–1830 period. The turnings are well-executed and retain their original painted and gilded ring decoration, adding a finishing note of refinement to the overall composition.

Construction & Back

The back view reveals honest pine secondary construction throughout, with the backsplash attached by cut nails — consistent with the first quarter of the 19th century. The case is solid and sound with no major structural concerns.

Condition

The original painted surface is intact and displays a beautiful, unrestored patina. Expected wear to the top surface, light losses to the painted decoration, and minor surface scratches consistent with age and use are present throughout. The stenciled backsplash decoration is notably well-preserved. The drawer slides freely and retains its original knob.

Dimensions: 32″W x 15″D x 29.5″H + 4.5″Back