Cabinet
Bruce Talbert
(Scottish, 1838–1881)
about 1870
Medium/TechniqueCherry, oak; veneers of thuya, ebony, walnut, and rosewood
Dimensions218.1 x 61.9 x 112.4 cm (85 7/8 x 24 3/8 x 44 1/4 in.)
Credit LineJohn Wheelock Elliot and John Morse Elliot Fund and Arthur Tracy Cabot Fund
Accession number1997.188
On View
Not on viewClassificationsFurniture
Collections
Talbert was a prominent designer and cabinetmaker working in the Gothic style from the 1860s. The form of this cabinet is based on the sixteenth-century Tudor court cupboard and displays such characteristic Gothic architectural elements as crockets and a pointed arch. The two-dimensional ornament comprises different colored veneers depicting stylized floral and Gothic patterns. The design is taken from Talbert's extremely influential 1868 publication, Gothic Forms Applied to Furniture, Metal Work and Decoration for Domestic Purposes.
ProvenanceIn a private collection in Nova Scotia. 1997, sold by Margaret B. Caldwell to the MFA. (Accession Date: November 19, 1997)
1790–1800
1790–1800
about 1700
about 1745–50 (?)