Connecticut joinery & carving, pt. 3
New Haven Colony work
To continue the series looking at period furniture from Connecticut, this time I’ll introduce work done along the coast - in New Haven Colony. I’ll start with a chest I saw at the Yale University Art Gallery’s Furniture Study.
3 carved panels across the front, molded edges to much of the framing.2 panels & a muntin on the ends. Oak floor boards (maybe they’re chestnut, that’s what Yale’s site says. Pine lid.
One element that is very distinctive is the large S-scroll carvings on the chest - these show up elsewhere too; chair panels, box fronts and various framing members. These are broad versions of this motif with large interior “leaves” and just a few details. The joiners who carved these also showed a bit of variety - sometimes they’re this way, sometimes they’re that way....here’s one from the chest:
About 6 years ago I worked on a project that Bob Trent put together to outfit the “Old House” an historic house in Cutchogue, Long Island - and I got to make a copy of this New Haven wainscot chair:
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