Cabinet
1878–80
Medium
Rosewood with ebonized cherry, maple, walnut, satinwood, marquetry of various woods, brass, gilding, and paint
Dimensions
134.6 × 180.3 × 40.6 cm (53 × 71 × 16 in.)
Classification
case furniture
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
105105
Rights
Public Domain
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 incorpor...