In Kansas City, there is an art museum, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art by name. I visited there while in town for Woodworking in America this past September. As one would expect, they have art. They also have decorative arts which typically includes furniture. Of course, I went.
Today’s blog is about their North American and Arts and Crafts furniture collection or at least what they have on display. The first piece I saw was this Nathaniel Gould chest on chest:
If you are interested, I wrote about Nathaniel Gould and my visit to the exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum in All of Nathaniel Gould.
Next was this early 18th century cupboard or kast based on a Dutch design, believed to be from New York:
Continuing with the trend of simple furniture is this 1852 bookcase by Bulkey and Herter, another New York piece:
For something completely different, there is a collection of Pacific Northwest furniture and decorative boxes:
There was this description of their box building technique:
The construction of this chest and others nearby is unique to the Northwest Coast culture area. The four sides of the container were created from a single plank of hand-adzed wood. The board was then cut across the width in three places, steamed and bent to form three of the corners. The remaining fourth corner was rabbeted and pegged (or sewn), forming the closed shape. The sides were then pegged or sewn to the bottom. A separate lid was made to fit the top.
Finally, for today, is their collection of Arts and Crafts furniture including piece by the Charles P. Limbert Company:
Frank Lloyd Wright:
And the Charles Rolhfs Workshop of Buffalo, NY:
There is a similar piece in the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond. It is covered in my blog Yes Virginia, There is Fine Art in Richmond.
To see the rest of today’s Nelson-Atkins Museum set, click HERE.