Poplar, original yellow comb-grained decoration and hardware, 17 ¼ x 8 x 6 ½ inches, in a wonderful state of preservation.
With its charmingly miniature size and delightful carved rooster ornament on the back splash this cupboard was undoubtedly made for the use of a child. Its original hardware and yellow comb graining is typical of pieces made in southeastern Pennsylvania during the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Because of its rare design and rooster ornament, it has been recognized as a prime example of Pennsylvania-German folk art, and included in several notable exhibitions.
Provenance:
Purchased from a farm house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on the site now occupied of the Lancaster Airport;
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith, Millbach, PA;
“Pennsylvania German Folk Art and Decorative Arts From the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith,” Christies, June 3, 1995, lot 194; Private collection, 1995-2016.
Exhibited:
“Pennsylvania Folk Art,” The Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA, October 20-December 1, 1974.
“Just for Nice,” The Historical Society of Berks County, Reading, PA, March 26-September 21, 1991.
