Pier Table (one of a pair)

Label

This table is part of a group of distinguished Neoclassical furnishings originally from the home library of George Ticknor, Class of 1807 (see portrait above). It reflects a later and more monumental expression of Neoclassical taste, often referred to as the empire style, which was derived from French adaptations of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiquities. Pier tables often filled the wall space (pier) between two windows and usually came in pairs. This example’s gilt brass ornaments—all probably imported from France or England—accentuate the table’s richly veneered mahogany surface and that of its mate, which Ticknor’s descendants also donated to Dartmouth.

From the 2019 exhibition American Art, Colonial to Modern, curated by Barbara J. MacAdam, Jonathan L. Cohen Curator of American Art

This Neoclassical table once adorned the home of George Ticknor (Class of 1807). The columnar legs and gilt brass ornaments, likely imported from France or England, demonstrate a renewed interest in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiquities collected—and looted—in the first half of the nineteenth century. Expensive mahogany veneer (thin sheets of wood) covers cheaper chestnut and white pine. Enslaved people in the Caribbean likely logged this mahogany, which was then imported to Boston where this table was manufactured.

This Boston table, inspired by antique motifs and manufactured from materials sourced from around the globe, might encourage us to think about the things we have in our own homes. Where do the designs come from? Who manufactured the raw materials? Who transported them across oceans?

From the 2023 exhibition Liquidity: Art, Commodities, and Water, curated by Michael Hartman, Jonathan Little Cohen Associate Curator of American Art

Course History

First Year Student Enrichment Program - Cultures, Identities and Belongings, Francine A'Ness, Summer 2023

Anthropology 55.01, Anthropology of Global Health, Anne Sosin, Fall 2023

Anthropology 55.01, Anthropology of Global Health, Anne Sosin, Fall 2023

Art History 40.01, American Art and Identity, Mary Coffey, Fall 2023

Creative Writing 10.02, Writing and Reading Fiction, Katherine Crouch, Fall 2023

Geography 11.01, Qualitative Methods, Emma Colven, Fall 2023

Geography 2.01, Introduction to Human Geography, Coleen Fox, Fall 2023

Geography 31.01, Postcolonial Geographies, Erin Collins, Fall 2023

English 30.01, African and African American Studies 34.01, Early Black American LIterature, Michael Chaney, Winter 2024

Writing 5.06, Image and Text, Becky Clark, Winter 2024

Writing 5.07, Image and Text, Becky Clark, Winter 2024

Exhibition History

American Art at Dartmouth: Highlights from the Hood Museum of Art, William B. Jaffe and Evelyn A. Jaffe Hall Galleries, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, June 9-December 9, 2007.

American Art, Colonial to Modern, Israel Sack Gallery and Rush Family Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, January 26, 2019-September 12, 2021.

American Decorative Arts at Dartmouth, Hopkins Center Art Galleries, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, January 10-March 1, 1981.

Israel Sack Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, March 2, 2009-present.

Israel Sack Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, March 26, 1996-June 22, 1997.

Liquidity: Art, Commodities, and Water, Israel Sack Gallery and the Rush Family Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, July 29, 2023-November 24, 2024.

Publication History

Margaret J. Moody, American Decorative Arts at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire: The Trustees of Dartmouth College, 1981, page 38.

Margaret J. Moody, "American furniture at Dartmouth College", The Magazine ANTIQUES: New York, August 1981, pp. 326-333, ill. Plate VI.

Shelby Grantham, Rich and Tasty Cabinetwork, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, Hanover, New Hampshire: Trustees of Dartmouth College, March 1981, p. 31.

Barbara J. MacAdam, American Art at Dartmouth: Highlights from the Hood Muesum of Art, Hanover: Trustees of Dartmouth College, 2007, p. 222, no. 195.

Provenance

Collected by George Ticknor (1791-1871), Boston, Massachusetts, date unknown; to his daughter, Eliza (Mrs. William) Sullivan Ticknor Dexter (1833-1880), about 1871; to her son, Philip Dexter (1868-1934), about 1880; to his son, William Dexter (1897-1943), about 1934; to his wife, Constance Van Rensselaer Thayer Dexter (1900-1976), 1943; given to Dartmouth College, 1943; catalogued by present collection, 1965.

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