Domestic Furnishings

Tiffany Floor Lamp

Washboards, armchairs, lamps, and pots and pans may not seem to be museum pieces. But they are invaluable evidence of how most people lived day to day, last week or three centuries ago. The Museum's collections of domestic furnishings comprise more than 40,000 artifacts from American households. Large and small, they include four houses, roughly 800 pieces of furniture, fireplace equipment, spinning wheels, ceramics and glass, family portraits, and much more.

The Arthur and Edna Greenwood Collection contains more than 2,000 objects from New England households from colonial times to mid-1800s. From kitchens of the past, the collections hold some 3,300 artifacts, ranging from refrigerators to spatulas. The lighting devices alone number roughly 3,000 lamps, candleholders, and lanterns.

Date: 1850s

Clichy Paperweight

In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter.
Description (Brief)
In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter. By the mid-1800s, decorative paperweights produced by glassmakers in Europe and the United States became highly desired collectibles.
Decorative glass paperweights reflected the 19th-century taste for intricate, over-the-top designs. Until the spread of textiles colorized with synthetic dyes, ceramics and glass were among the few objects that added brilliant color to a 19th-century Victorian interior. The popularity of these paperweights in the 1800s testifies to the sustained cultural interest in hand craftsmanship during an age of rapid industrialization.
The French firm, Verrerie de Clichy, began operation after merging with another local glassworks in 1837. The height of paperweight production at the firm was 1846 to 1857.
A deep moss-green background sets off the large center pink and green Rose cane and the multi-colored pastry mold canes (millefiori canes that flare at the base) on this Clichy paperweight.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1845-1850
maker
Clichy
ID Number
CE.65.468
catalog number
65.468
collector/donor number
98
accession number
264964

Box or Trunk

Black-japanned and gilt-stenciled, dome-top trunk or lidded box with scrolled hasp lock on front, circular wire ring handle on top, and two hinges at back.
Description
Black-japanned and gilt-stenciled, dome-top trunk or lidded box with scrolled hasp lock on front, circular wire ring handle on top, and two hinges at back. Symmetrical floral decoration on box front features two, large, upturned cone- or bell-shape flowers amidst daisy-like flowers or leaves; box sides plain. Outlines of a border barely visible on lid top. Three-piece lid has a wire-rolled rim. Five-piece box has a flat bottom and a top edge folded with a wire bead below. Tinned interior. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1850
ID Number
DL.251349.0029
catalog number
251349.0029
accession number
251349

Plate

Plate with beaded rim, slightly concave lip and rounded well with flat bottom. Hollow cast with a single gate mark on bottom exterior. No additional marks.Currently not on view
Description
Plate with beaded rim, slightly concave lip and rounded well with flat bottom. Hollow cast with a single gate mark on bottom exterior. No additional marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
1800-1850
ID Number
1982.0090.27
accession number
1982.0090
catalog number
1982.0090.27

Clichy Paperweight

In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter.
Description (Brief)
In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter. By the mid-1800s, decorative paperweights produced by glassmakers in Europe and the United States became highly desired collectibles.
Decorative glass paperweights reflected the 19th-century taste for intricate, over-the-top designs. Until the spread of textiles colorized with synthetic dyes, ceramics and glass were among the few objects that added brilliant color to a 19th-century Victorian interior. The popularity of these paperweights in the 1800s testifies to the sustained cultural interest in hand craftsmanship during an age of rapid industrialization.
The French firm, Verrerie de Clichy, began operation after merging with another local glassworks in 1837. The height of paperweight production at the firm was 1846 to 1857.
A purple and yellow Pansy decorates this clear glass Clichy paperweight.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1845-1850
maker
Clichy
ID Number
CE.65.496
catalog number
65.496
accession number
264964
collector/donor number
185

Tray

Single-sheet, oblong octagonal, japanned tray painted along the angled ends of the well with wide white bands containing garlands of oval red fruits or buds with alizarin and white overtones and pairs of yellow-highlighted, curved and pointed green leaves with parallel yellow sid
Description
Single-sheet, oblong octagonal, japanned tray painted along the angled ends of the well with wide white bands containing garlands of oval red fruits or buds with alizarin and white overtones and pairs of yellow-highlighted, curved and pointed green leaves with parallel yellow side veins; black curved and crossed lines and dots. A yellow ribbon on straight sides of well and a yellow line around inside edge of design. Made in one piece, cut and folded, with folded rim and flat bottom. Exterior painted black. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800 - 1850
ID Number
1978.0119.02
accession number
1978.0119
catalog number
1978.0119.02

William. B. Reed

Black and white print; bust portrait of a man (William Bradford Reed). Facsimile of sitter's signature is below the image.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white print; bust portrait of a man (William Bradford Reed). Facsimile of sitter's signature is below the image.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1855
depicted
Reed, William Bradford
maker
Wagner & McGuigan
Traubel, Morris H.
ID Number
DL.60.3128
catalog number
60.3128
accession number
228146

Ale Jug

Lidded ale jug with a convex shell thumb piece. Low-domed, flat-top lid. Plain, inverted-baluster body with molded rim and neck; no foot. Compound- or reverse-scroll strap handle with short lower terminal; upper terminal attached to rounded shield-shape plate on rim.
Description
Lidded ale jug with a convex shell thumb piece. Low-domed, flat-top lid. Plain, inverted-baluster body with molded rim and neck; no foot. Compound- or reverse-scroll strap handle with short lower terminal; upper terminal attached to rounded shield-shape plate on rim. Plain, inset, curved spout with strainer. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1790-1850
ID Number
DL.67.0150
catalog number
67.0150
accession number
250853

fork, dinner; cutlery, set, part of

Dinner fork, one of a set of six (1986.0531.028-.33) that match a set of seven dinner knives (1986.0531.021-.27).Two-tined fork with baluster stem. Tines, stem, and tang are one piece.
Description
Dinner fork, one of a set of six (1986.0531.028-.33) that match a set of seven dinner knives (1986.0531.021-.27).
Two-tined fork with baluster stem. Tines, stem, and tang are one piece. Bone scales are riveted to the top and bottom of the tang with brass pins to form a tapered block handle with chamfered edges and blunt butt. Tines are discolored, scratched, and have small rust spots, bone is crazed, cracked and chipped around edges and pulling away from the tang. Handle is missing one pin. No mark.
Blades of accompanying knives are stamped: “S. ROWLAND”; with a heart, diamond, and circle above.
Maker is possibly Sleigh Rowland, active ca 1830-1850 in Sheffield, England.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1830- 1850
ID Number
1986.0531.031
accession number
1986.0531
catalog number
1986.0531.031

Salt Dish

Circular salt with a molded rim, gilt-washed hemispherical bowl, and four cast legs with quadruple-padded knees and triple-padded feet.
Description
Circular salt with a molded rim, gilt-washed hemispherical bowl, and four cast legs with quadruple-padded knees and triple-padded feet. Underside of rounded bottom is overstruck (in reverse directions) "TIFFANY, YOUNG & ELLIS" and struck once "J.C.M.", both in incuse serif letters placed above and below centerpoint. One of two salts, DL*300503A-B.
Made by the John C. Moore Co. for Tiffany, Young & Ellis, both of New York, NY, 1848-1852.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1848-1852
ID Number
DL.300503A
catalog number
300503A
accession number
61510

Caster

Mallet-shaped caster with projecting, tapered band at bottom and screwed-on, tall, cylindrical, perforated cover having an ovoid finial, seven columns of five pierced holes, and rounded rim.
Description
Mallet-shaped caster with projecting, tapered band at bottom and screwed-on, tall, cylindrical, perforated cover having an ovoid finial, seven columns of five pierced holes, and rounded rim. Conforming, glazed white earthenware cup inserted in tapered conical lower half; underside is covered by a slightly raised metal disk and bottom edges of body folded under to hold in place. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840 - 1850
ID Number
DL.391782C
catalog number
391782C
accession number
71679

Button Mold

Three-part, single button mold for a plain, self shank, domed button. Top halves have iron loop handles and join to form a diamond or lozenge sprue hole. Bead-bordered domed button inside; fits mold but does not match it. No marks.Currently not on view
Description
Three-part, single button mold for a plain, self shank, domed button. Top halves have iron loop handles and join to form a diamond or lozenge sprue hole. Bead-bordered domed button inside; fits mold but does not match it. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800 - 1850
ID Number
1980.0250.03
accession number
1980.0250
catalog number
1980.0250.03

St. Louis Paperweight

In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter.
Description (Brief)
In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter. By the mid-1800s, decorative paperweights produced by glassmakers in Europe and the United States became highly desired collectibles.
Decorative glass paperweights reflected the 19th-century taste for intricate, over-the-top designs. Until the spread of textiles colorized with synthetic dyes, ceramics and glass were among the few objects that added brilliant color to a 19th-century Victorian interior. The popularity of these paperweights in the 1800s testifies to the sustained cultural interest in hand craftsmanship during an age of rapid industrialization.
Glass production at Saint Louis was authorized by Louis XV in 1767. By 1782 the firm was creating high quality glass crystal, progressing into pressed glass in the 1800s. St. Louis produced paperweights from 1845 to about 1867.
A lavender, orange, and yellow Pansy on a clear ground decorates this St. Louis glass paperweight. The base features a twenty-four ray star-cut design.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1845-1850
maker
St. Louis
ID Number
CE.65.464
accession number
264964
catalog number
65.464
collector/donor number
81

coverlet; turned twill; 19th century; possibly Pennsylvania

This is an example of a warp-faced twill weave, geometric coverlet woven in a “Whig Rose” pattern with compound “Pine Tree” borders. The borders on these geometric coverlets is created through a fractional reduction of the main motif.
Description
This is an example of a warp-faced twill weave, geometric coverlet woven in a “Whig Rose” pattern with compound “Pine Tree” borders. The borders on these geometric coverlets is created through a fractional reduction of the main motif. The coverlet is composed of two sections, each 38 inches wide. The coverlet was woven as one length, cut, and seamed up the middle to create a coverlet that measures 85 inches by 76 inches. There is self-fringe along three sides.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1850
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T8954
catalog number
T08954.000
accession number
164228

Baccarat Paperweight

In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter.
Description (Brief)
In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter. By the mid-1800s, decorative paperweights produced by glassmakers in Europe and the United States became highly desired collectibles.
Decorative glass paperweights reflected the 19th-century taste for intricate, over-the-top designs. Until the spread of textiles colorized with synthetic dyes, ceramics and glass were among the few objects that added brilliant color to a 19th-century Victorian interior. The popularity of these paperweights in the 1800s testifies to the sustained cultural interest in hand craftsmanship during an age of rapid industrialization.
The French firm, Baccarat, was originally founded as the Verrerie Renaut in 1764, by request of the Bishop of Metz to the King of France, Louis XV. After the French Revolution, the company was re-named Verrerie de Baccarat. Peak production of Baccarat paperweights was between 1846 and1855.
This Baccarat glass paperweight features a red and white Primrose with deep green leaves and a star-cut base.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1845-1850
maker
Baccarat
ID Number
CE.66.21
catalog number
66.21
collector/donor number
15
accession number
268356

knife, dinner; cutlery, set, part of

Dinner knife, one of a set of seven (1986.0531.021-.27) that match a set of six dinner forks (1986.0531.028-.33).Upturned steel blade with rounded tip. Blade, bolster, and tang are one piece.
Description
Dinner knife, one of a set of seven (1986.0531.021-.27) that match a set of six dinner forks (1986.0531.028-.33).
Upturned steel blade with rounded tip. Blade, bolster, and tang are one piece. Bone scales are riveted to the top and bottom of the tang with brass pins to form a tapered block handle with chamfered edges and blunt butt. Back of knife shows a "puddled" weld between the iron bolster and steel blade. Metal is discolored, scratched and has some rust spots. Bone is yellowed and crazed, cracked and chipped around edges and pulling away from the tang.
Blade is stamped: “S. ROWLAND”; with a heart, diamond, and circle above.
Maker is possibly Sleigh Rowland, active ca 1830-1850 in Sheffield, England.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1830- 1850
ID Number
1986.0531.023
accession number
1986.0531
catalog number
1986.0531.023

Foot Warmer Patent Model

One of three full-size patent models (U.S. Patent No. 13,859) of hot-water-heated foot warmers, varying only in form, made by Nathaniel Waterman of Boston, MA, and patented on November 27, 1855.
Description
One of three full-size patent models (U.S. Patent No. 13,859) of hot-water-heated foot warmers, varying only in form, made by Nathaniel Waterman of Boston, MA, and patented on November 27, 1855. Consists of a square, orange-red damask-upholstered foot rest with a hinged, flat top that contains a removable, square container or reservoir with two oval wire handles and a cork stopper. Interior of top is fitted with a metal plate to conduct heat to the feet. Small hook latch at front center. Darkened, handwritten identification label nailed to front. No other marks.
Location
Currently not on view
patent date
1855-11-27
maker
Waterman, Nathaniel
ID Number
DL.251428B
catalog number
251428B
patent number
13,859
accession number
48890

Flagon

Normandy type, mallet-shaped flagon or pichet with double-acorn thumb piece and wedge extension burnt to the plain, heart-shaped lid; engraved "W.DELTIER" in serif letters on face of handle.
Description
Normandy type, mallet-shaped flagon or pichet with double-acorn thumb piece and wedge extension burnt to the plain, heart-shaped lid; engraved "W.DELTIER" in serif letters on face of handle. Slightly flared, galleried rim, shouldered body and flared base; two incised lines around rim, one at base and a set of four near bottom. Plain strap handle with short terminal; short cylindrical strut. No other marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 18th or early 19th century
ID Number
DL.67.0252
catalog number
67.0252
accession number
250853

Bowl

Wide bowl or circular dish with beaded rim, narrow lip and rounded well with flat bottom. Hollow cast with "P.P." twice, in raised serif letters facing the rim along perimeter of bottom exterior; two parallel gate marks.Currently not on view
Description
Wide bowl or circular dish with beaded rim, narrow lip and rounded well with flat bottom. Hollow cast with "P.P." twice, in raised serif letters facing the rim along perimeter of bottom exterior; two parallel gate marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
1800-1850
ID Number
1982.0090.45
accession number
1982.0090
catalog number
1982.0090.45

Quart Measure

Lidless Jersey measure or flagon, no spout; quart size. Angular-bellied body with a slightly flared, incised rim and short, molded base; line visible at seam. Tapered, S-scroll handle with arched and curved thumbrest and short lower terminal; upper terminal attached below rim.
Description
Lidless Jersey measure or flagon, no spout; quart size. Angular-bellied body with a slightly flared, incised rim and short, molded base; line visible at seam. Tapered, S-scroll handle with arched and curved thumbrest and short lower terminal; upper terminal attached below rim. Crowned "GR" verification mark stamped incuse to right of handle. No other marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1700-1850
ID Number
DL.67.0158
catalog number
67.0158
accession number
250853

Sugar Bowl

Two-handled, seamed, straight-sided oval container with flared shoulder and domed oval cover topped by cast acorns; flat bottom set in.
Description
Two-handled, seamed, straight-sided oval container with flared shoulder and domed oval cover topped by cast acorns; flat bottom set in. Symmetrical bright-cut decoration on both sides features a pointed shield amidst festoons, one is engraved "MEA" in conjoined foliate script and the other "1859". Additional garlands and sprigs follow the right-angled handles, almost square in section, with C-curve ends. Rollerwork and applied beading around cover, rim, shoulder, and top and bottom of body. Bottom underside is struck with four incuse marks for "GALE & WILLIS". Part of a three-piece tea service, DL*64.0138A-C.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1859
engraved date
1859
ID Number
DL.64.0138B
catalog number
64.0138B
accession number
250794

gridiron

Thick wrought iron broiling iron. Three oblong tines with twisted shaft and C-shaped loop at top. No mark. Some rust.Currently not on view
Description
Thick wrought iron broiling iron. Three oblong tines with twisted shaft and C-shaped loop at top. No mark. Some rust.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1820 - 1850
ID Number
DL.127282
catalog number
127282
accession number
18060

Hempfield Railroad; coverlet; Figured and Fancy; double-cloth; c. 1851; Pennsylvania or West Virginia

An unidentified weaver wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet. The centerfield design features oak leaf and flower, sprig and floral, foliate swag, and leaf carpet medallions. All four of the borders depict the No.
Description
An unidentified weaver wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet. The centerfield design features oak leaf and flower, sprig and floral, foliate swag, and leaf carpet medallions. All four of the borders depict the No. 240 engine and coal car being operated by the engineer. The cornerblocks depict four profile portraits of M. T. McKennon, the first president of the railroad. He is surrounded by the woven inscription, “Hemfield Railroad.” The Hempfield Railroad was began in 1851 and designed to connect Wheeling, Virginia (current West Virginia) to Washington, Pennsylvania. Construction was not complete until 1857 and the railroad operated until 1871 when it was sold to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It is not clear if these coverlets were used on the passenger cars or sold to subscribers. The railroad was initially funded through subscription, and it is possible that these coverlets were made to help facilitate that process or just to commemorate the arrival of the railroad. The coverlet was likely made c. 1851 either in Wheeling or Western Pennsylvania. The railroad operated three locomotive engines, six freight and passenger cars, and eleven coal cars.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1851
c. 1851
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T7317
catalog number
T07317.000
accession number
123286

Spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1839
1839 - 1851
retailer
Ball, Tompkins & Black
ID Number
DL.60.1114
catalog number
60.1114
accession number
70138

fork, dinner; cutlery, set, part of

Dinner fork, one of a set of six (1986.0531.028-.33) that match a set of seven dinner knives (1986.0531.021-.27).Two-tined fork with baluster stem. Tines, stem, and tang are one piece.
Description
Dinner fork, one of a set of six (1986.0531.028-.33) that match a set of seven dinner knives (1986.0531.021-.27).
Two-tined fork with baluster stem. Tines, stem, and tang are one piece. Bone scales are riveted to the top and bottom of the tang with brass pins to form a tapered block handle with chamfered edges and blunt butt. Tines are discolored, scratched, and have small rust spots, bone is cracked and chipped around edges and pulling away from the tang. No mark.
Blades of accompanying knives are stamped: “S. ROWLAND”; with a heart, diamond, and circle above.
Maker is possibly Sleigh Rowland, active ca 1830-1850 in Sheffield, England.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1830- 1850
ID Number
1986.0531.030
accession number
1986.0531
catalog number
1986.0531.030

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