Side Chair
Unknown Artist
1840–50
Medium
Rosewood
Dimensions
42 1/2 x 18 3/4 x 20 3/4 in. (108 x 47.6 x 52.7 cm)
Classification
Side Chair
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Charles J. Bryan, 1965
Accession Number
65.189
Art Historical Context
This elegant side chair, crafted around 1840–50 from rich rosewood, exemplifies the craftsmanship of mid-19th-century American. Standing at 42½ inches tall, with a seat width of 18¾ inches and depth of 20¾ inches, it was designed for comfort and grace in the parlors of prosperous homes. Rosewood, an imported tropical hardwood prized for its deep reddish-brown hue and durability, was a luxurious choice that signaled wealth and sophistication during America's antebellum era, when urban growth and expanding trade brought exotic materials to domestic artisans. Though the maker remains unknown, th...