Tambour Desk and Bookcase
c. 1800
Medium
Mahogany, satinwood, white pine, cherrywood, chestnut, with brass, ivorine, and leather
Dimensions
Closed: 188 × 95.3 × 49.6 cm (74 × 37 1/2 × 19 1/2 in.); Open: 188 × 95.3 × 73.7 cm (74 × 37 1/2 × 29 in.)
Classification
furniture
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
272490
Art Historical Context
This elegant Tambour Desk and Bookcase, crafted around 1800 by the Boston cabinetmakers John and Thomas Seymour, exemplifies the refined Federal style that flourished in early America. The Seymours, celebrated for their precise joinery and sophisticated designs, created this multifunctional piece as both a practical writing desk and a storage solution for books and papers. Its tambour doors—flexible shutters made of narrow wooden slats—slide smoothly to reveal an interior workspace, showcasing the innovative mechanics popular in the period. The desk’s rich materials highlight the Seymours’ ma...