About this artwork
Imported into the United States as early as the 1860s, East Asian bamboo furniture inspired the manufacture of Western forms such as this faux-bamboo desk and matching chair (2003.11), which clearly reference Chinese and Japanese materials, motifs, and styles. Bamboo wares reached the height of their popularity after the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where Japan’s display of bamboo furniture garnered much public attention. As the Aesthetic movement intensified the demand for Asian-inspired decorative arts and interiors, American manufacturers began using local materials to produce faux-bamboo furniture in an attempt to compete with foreign imports. Firms such as R. J. Horner and Company advertised suites of faux-bamboo furniture such as this one as most appropriate for the dining rooms and bedrooms of country houses.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 273
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Department
- Arts of the Americas
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Artist
- R. J. Horner and Company (Manufacturer)
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Title
- Desk
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Place
- New York (Object made in)
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Date
- c. 1890
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Medium
- Maple and bird's-eye maple
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Dimensions
- 174.6 × 46.4 × 67.3 cm (68 3/4 × 17 1/2 × 26 1/2 in.)
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Credit Line
- Quinn E. Delaney fund
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Reference Number
- 2003.10
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/180489/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.