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There is not yet an absolute way of identifying a piece of Thomas
Day furniture short of having the bill of sale with Thomas Day's
name on it. There is one instance we are aware of where the initials
TD appeared on the back of a large sideboard he made but that
is rare. He incorporated many of the fashionable styles and designs
of the day in the furniture he produced, yet often put these elements
together in a unique, "improvisational" way. If you believe you
may have a piece of Thomas Day furniture, here are some things
to look for:
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Curves and Scrolls
Day and many other period artisans featured curves and S-shapes
as both decorative and functional elements. These kinds of curvilinear
designs can be found in a pattern book called, The Cabinet
Maker's Assistant ( Baltimore: John Murphy, 1840) which is
one Day used as a reference. He often uses S-shapes in unique
ways as in the supports for this mirror.
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Expert Veneer Work
Day used imported mahogany veneers extensively which he applied
to less expensive woods like pine and poplar. His veneers were
cut unusually thin for the times (sometimes as thin as 1/16th
of an inch). They are also distinctive in the way he expertly
matched the wood grain as shown here where the two pieces of veneer
come together beneath the key holes of each drawer.
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Dovetail Joints
The mark of fine cabinetmaking is joinery. In this piece of Day
furniture, notice the dovetail joints that are expertly cut, thin,
and not concealed or hidden.
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Newell Posts & Distinctive Interior Architecture
Day is especially known for his sculptural newel posts and other
distinctive interior architecture. Some people have seen a parallel
between some of these forms and the stylized abstract forms of
African sculpture. Art historians advising the TDEP, however,
are reluctant to attribute the aesthetic preferences in Day's
work to an African aesthetic. They argue that much more research
on Day's body of work would need to be done before it could be
called "African" or for that matter "European." What
we do know is that it is "American," which means that it is a
mix of diverse cultural and aesthetic influences.
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