About this artwork
The influence of Japanese artistic techniques and motifs abound in this cabinet, from the dazzling gold-field butterfly plaques set into the left and right cabinet doors, to the stylized floral inlays of the ebonized central compartment. Herter Brothers was one of the leading firms that designed furniture and interiors for the American upper class during the Aesthetic Movement, a cultural trend that emphasized beauty, particularly in the home. In the late 1870s, Herter Brothers began to incorporate such Japanese-derived elements in their designs, even as the furniture forms themselves derive from European and American precedents. It was common in the period to embrace eclectic motifs as long as they achieved a sense of visual harmony.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 273
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Department
- Arts of the Americas
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Artist
- Herter Brothers
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Title
- Cabinet
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Place
- New York City (Object made in)
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Date
- c. 1878–1880
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Medium
- Rosewood with ebonized cherry, maple, walnut, satinwood, marquetry of various woods, brass, gilding, and paint
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Inscriptions
- Impressed twice on back boards: "HERTER BRO'S". Incribed on top boards, under velvet, in graphite: "N. 238 Store".
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Dimensions
- 134.6 × 180.3 × 40.6 cm (53 × 71 × 16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Purchased with funds provided by the Antiquarian Society through the Capital Campaign
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Reference Number
- 1986.26
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/105105/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.