Lady's writing table with tambour shutters

John Seymour and his son, Thomas, were the premier cabinetmakers in Federal-period Boston. Born and trained in England, they came to Massachusetts via Portland, Maine, in the early 1790s and began producing stylish Neoclassical furniture for the local clientele. Of their large production, however, few pieces are marked, labeled, or otherwise signed. This stunning satinwood desk, made shortly after the Seymours' arrival in Boston, is notable for its fine craftsmanship, carefully selected woods, and elegant design. Moreover, it fortuitously retains its original paper label pasted to the outside of the backboard, giving the name of the firm and advertising its location on Creek Square in Boston.The form was known in its own day as a "lady's writing table with tambour shutters"; today it is normally called a tambour desk because of its use of tambour doors enclosing the interior in the upper case. These doors consist of strips of satinwood glued vertically to a linen backcloth, and each shutter then slides in a groove that runs across the front, sides, and part of the back of the upper case, allowing access, when in the open position, to the twelve small drawers and six pigeonholes that form the functional spaces of the interior. Each pigeonhole, meant to hold folded correspondence and other documents, is fitted with a Gothic arch and has a blue-painted interior. Tambour desks, a novel form in the Federal period, were specifically made for women and were especially popular in New England, reflecting the region's emphasis on reading, writing, and female education in the early years of the new republic.This text was adapted from Ward, et al., MFA Highlights: American Decorative Arts & Sculpture (Boston, 2006) available at www.mfashop.com/mfa-publications.html.

Few pieces made by the Seymours are marked, labeled, or otherwise signed. This desk retains its original paper label (on the the backboard), giving the name of the firm and advertising its location on Creek Square, in Boston. Today, this object usually is called a tambour desk because of its use of tambour doors enclosing the interior in the upper case. These doors consist of vertical strips of satinwood glued to a linen backcloth; each shutter slides in a groove that runs across the front, sides, and part of the back of the upper case. When open, the tambour doors reveal twelve small drawers and six pigeonholes.