Saturday, September 11, 2010

Object of the Day: A Walnut Curio Cabinet circa 1920

On this September 11, I thought we should look at American ingenuity of design. This walnut curio cabinet dates to the early 1920’s and tells a tale of American flare. The cabinet itself is solidly, but delicately, built. Faced with smooth burled walnut, the case has a gentle curve to the front. The door itself is one large sheet of glass, mounted with a stylized scalloped design to give the impression of mullions. With its glass shelves and sides, this cabinet was obviously built to display crystal and other fine objects which would benefit from being seen from all angles.


American designers of the early 1920’s had a desire to create simplified traditional shapes. Their dependence on gentle curves and highly polished surfaces speaks of elegance and confidence. These two ideals defined American thinking of the time and remind us that The United States offers many qualities of which we can be proud.


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