About this artwork
Herter Brothers was one of the leading firms that designed furniture and interiors for the American upper class during the Aesthetic movement. In the late 1870s, the firm began to experiment with Japanese-influenced elements in their designs, reflecting the great fascination with that country—known as Japanism—prevalent in American culture at the time. The ebonized surfaces of this table emulate Japanese lacquerware, while the floral ornamentation is drawn from Japanese lacquerware, paintings, prints, and textiles. However, the overall forms are Western and include elements derived from other cultures, such as the cabinet’s (1986.26) Egyptian Revival paw feet. Aesthetic-movement designers such as Herter Brothers readily combined such eclectic motifs as long as they could still achieve a sense of visual harmony.
-
Status
- Currently Off View
-
Department
- Arts of the Americas
-
Artist
- Herter Brothers
-
Title
- Table
-
Place
- New York City (Object made in:)
-
Date
- c. 1878
-
Medium
- Ebonized maple and various inlaid woods
-
Dimensions
- 73 × 115.9 × 70.5 cm (28 3/4 × 45 5/8 × 27 3/4 in.)
-
Credit Line
- Gift of the Antiquarian Society
-
Reference Number
- 1973.341
-
IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/44867/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.
