| Side Chair Baltimore, Maryland, 1790-1810 Mahogany with maple and tulip poplar Even the simplest Baltimore furniture like this shield-back side chair sometimes carries design elements peculiar to Maryland. There is no exact English prototype for the splat configuration, a group of three narrow ribs with out-curving sides, leaf carvings, and teardrop-shaped piercings, seen here. No other American interpretations of the pattern are known. Shield-back chairs of this form were popular in Baltimore and have survived in large numbers. Decorative details vary widely from one example to the next. The inlaid splat and ebonized feet on this chair indicate that it was more costly than similar plain chairs and was intended to be used in a parlor, dining room, or other public space. |
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