Federal-Style Mahogany Demilune Sideboard

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Description

On offer is an American Federal-style mahogany demilune sideboard, a piece handsome enough in proportions and detailing to be part … Read more On offer is an American Federal-style mahogany demilune sideboard, a piece handsome enough in proportions and detailing to be part of the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room. That space is used for official state dinners and international gatherings atop the U.S. Department of State building in Washington, D.C.
This early 20th-century piece features classic 18th-century design elements, including flame mahogany veneers, decorative satinwood string inlays, and lion head brass ring pulls. The "demilune" (half-moon) shape is designed to fit flush against a wall while offering a graceful, curved profile. At the center are two wide drawers, one on top and the other concealed behind a ribbed tambour front below. They’re designed to hold table linens and flatware.
The center is then flanked by curved cabinet doors that open into additional deep storage space for service pieces. Beyond that, pairs of faux drawer fronts with lion pulls cover the depth of space behind the neighboring cabinet doors.
The piece is supported by slender, tapered spade-foot legs, a hallmark of the English Hepplewhite furniture which would have first inspired this piece’s style as the design was adapted to the newly formed nation’s tastes. Even the father of our country ordered his furnishings, carriages and attire from across the Atlantic. Despite revolutionary fervor, not all the ties were cut.
Signature/Maker’s mark: Nonexistent. See less