Side chair
1785–95
Medium
Mahogany with ash, maple
Dimensions
38 x 21 x 19 in. (96.5 x 53.3 x 48.3 cm)
Classification
Side chair
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Russell Sage, 1909
Accession Number
10.125.320
Art Historical Context
This elegant side chair, crafted by Boston cabinetmaker Stephen Badlam 1785 and 1795, exemplifies the refined Federal style that defined post-Revolutionary American furniture. Made primarily from luxurious mahogany—a tropical hardwood imported from the West Indies—with ash and maple for structural elements, the chair measures a comfortable 38 x 21 x 19 inches. Its proportions and likely neoclassical detailing reflect Badlam's mastery of contemporary English influences, such as those from designers George Hepplewhite and Thomas Sheraton, adapted for the emerging tastes of America's elite. In t...