What secrets lie within a 250-year-old mahogany slab table from Philadelphia?
In short: Join curator Alyce Englund and conservator Marijn Manuels as they examine a historic slab table from the Cadwalader family home. This piece offers a rare look at 18th-century American craftsmanship and the material history preserved within The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The table, created in Philadelphia between 1765 and 1775, is a sophisticated example of colonial American furniture. It is constructed from a combination of mahogany, black walnut, and yellow pine, topped with a marble slab. The piece was acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1918 through the John Stewart Kennedy Fund.
By analyzing the specific woods and construction techniques used, experts can trace the origins of this object back to its life in the Cadwalader family residence. This examination highlights how material choices and provenance contribute to our understanding of historical domestic life in Pennsylvania.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Considering the Philadelphia Table
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