Historic New England

Dining Table

Federal style mahogany dining table with a demi-lune hinged top; inlay with tasseled drapery swags and fans; square tapering legs; rear two legs swing as gates to support the opened top. Possibly made in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Date: 1785-1800

Maker: unknown

Material: mahogany (wood)

GUSN: 269517

Accession Number: 1975.162

Mug

Earthenware mug (mochaware). Flared base and loop handle with leaf terminals. Alternating bands of stripes and spots, the patterns slightly raised, painted brown and blue-gray.

Maker: unknown

Material: earthenware, mocha ware

GUSN: 269537

Accession Number: 1970.394

Servant's Call Bell

Ornamental call bell with the button concealed by a rose quartz Foo Dog standing on a teak-wood base. The whole is mounted on a triangular-shaped brass base with rounded corners and a Greek key banded border.

Maker: unknown

GUSN: 269560

Accession Number: 1966.1758

Mitchell Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms, "By the Name Mitchell", Crest of a black bird sitting atop a helm with gilt visor. Two black bird heads in center of cartouche, on white bird head in black triangle at bottom of cartouche. Scrolling banner, original name appears to have been cut out an the name Mitchell inserted. Plain...

Date: 1760-1790

Maker: unknown

Material: paper (fiber product), paint (coating)

GUSN: 269722

Accession Number: 2012.113.1

Mantel Mirror

Mantel mirror on small rectangular base. Cicular mirror has a brass frame decorated with inlaid brass fretwork and pale purple orchids on a yellow enamel ground. Triangle shaped open fretwork finial attached to top. Mirror is attached to base by two crested birds with hairy claw feet. Each bird hold...

Date: 1850-1869

Maker: unknown

Material: brass (alloy), enamel (fused coating), glass (material)

GUSN: 269730

Accession Number: 2012.114.3

Paddle

Small carved wooden paddle from the Austral Islands, covered with incised patterns.. The carvings include the characteristic Austral Island "starbust" motif and handle base of human-like figures.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269731

Accession Number: 2006.44.3597

Club

Samoan hand-held club (nifo 'oti) with twenty-four tooth-like projections on one side and a hook on the other. The head of the club is decorated on both sides with incised patterns. The weapon would have been used in combat and carried as a sign of status by men and women.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269732

Accession Number: 2006.44.3598

Club

Wooden rootstock war club, or vunikau, from Fiji, with a straight handle ending with a natural knot of polished root. Portions of the knobby head and handle are carved with incised patterns. There are two bands of contrasting braided material - one at the base of the head and one at the base of the ...

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269733

Accession Number: 2006.44.3599

Club

Wooden paddle-shaped chief's club, or culacula, from Fiji, with serrated carving along the edges of the paddle and under the crossbar where the paddle meets the handle. The base of the handle has incised carvings. This culacula would have been used in hand-to-hand combat as both a shield and club.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269734

Accession Number: 2006.44.3600

Club

Beaked 'pineapple' or 'pandanus' battlehammer, known as a totokia, from Fiji. Heavily carved head with pineapple-like extrusions ending with a pointed 'beak'. The club would have been used to inflict a deadly blow to the skull. Its design is said to be based on a bird's head.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269735

Accession Number: 2006.44.3601

Paddle

Wooden paddle, possibly from the Pacific Islands. The paddle head has a raised ridge on one side and the other side is flat.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269736

Accession Number: 2006.44.3602

Club

Heavy wooden pole club, or povai, with incised carvings on handle. From Fiji, Tonga or Samoa. This club would have been used in hand-to-hand combat.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269737

Accession Number: 2006.44.3603

Paddle

Long, light-colored wooden paddle with carved head and pointed end, probably from the Solomon Islands. The paddle has low relief carved portions on both sides that may represent stylized albatross wings or other zoomorphic forms.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269738

Accession Number: 2006.44.3604

Paddle

Long, light-colored wooden paddle with carved paddle head and pointed end. Probably from the Solomon Islands. The paddle head is carved on both sides in low relief with a design that is believed to represent frigate birds and other zoomorphic forms.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269739

Accession Number: 2006.44.3605

Spear

Short wooden spear, or ihe laumake, from Hawaii, with a carved barb of tapering tiers at one end. The spear would have been used in combat for thrusting or throwing.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269740

Accession Number: 2006.44.3606

Bow

Large wooden bow with bowstring, possibly from the Solomon Islands or Tonga. The bow is flattened and painted black on one side. The bowstring is made of what appears to be twisted hair or plant fiber. The bowstring is attached at either end with fiber that has been twisted, wrapped and covered wit...

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material), hair, resin (organic material)

GUSN: 269741

Accession Number: 2006.44.3607

Spear

Hawaiian long spear, or ihe laumake. Wooden spear has a head consisting of five triple-barbed tiers and a slender, uncarved shaft. The surface is polished. The spear would have been thrust or thrown.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269742

Accession Number: 2006.44.3608

Club (Patu onewa)

Maori (New Zealand/Aotearoa) short club or patu onewa, hand-held club made of grey-green stone. Club has a spatula-shaped blade polished to an edge. There are three parallel lines carved at the base of the handle with a hole above that would have originally had a flax or dogskin loop that wrapped ar...

Maker: unknown

Material: stone (rock), string (fiber product)

GUSN: 269743

Accession Number: 2006.44.3609

Sword

Wooden sword edged with shark teeth from the Gilbert Islands of Kiribati. The Gilbert Islands are known for making a wide range of shark-toothed weapons for use in ritual combat. This sword would have been used to stab and cut during hand-to-hand combat.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material), tooth

GUSN: 269744

Accession Number: 2006.44.3610

Club

A heavy wooden club - or bovai - with incised carvings over entire body, likely from Fiji. The club is slightly curved from the base of the handle to the head. The club is probably from Fiji, although there are similiar examples from Samoa and Tonga as well. The club would have been used in hand-to-...

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269745

Accession Number: 2006.44.3611

Drum

Small wooden slit or gong drum, probably of Pacific Island origin. The body of the drum is carved from a single piece of wood and polished, but the ends are unfinished.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269746

Accession Number: 2006.44.3612

Bowl

Double-pointed wooden kava bowl likely from Vanuatu, in an elongated oblong shape with pointed ends. The bowl is serrated along the pointed ends and the serrations run about a quarter of the way down each side of the bowl. The drinking of kava has important religous, ceremonial and cultural signific...

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269747

Accession Number: 2006.44.3613

Club

Wooden club with large bird-head shape (porowa ra aru), from New Caledonia. The club head has a large, beak-like projection on one end and a small hooded projection off the other. These clubs, most likely ceremonial, were visual symbols of rank and wealth, and were owned by men of the chiefly class...

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269748

Accession Number: 2006.44.3614

Paddle

Intricately carved small paddle fron the Austral Islands. Incised carving covers the entire paddle, including characteristic Austral Island "starburst" designs. The base of the handle is encircled with stylized human figures. This paddle was most likely made for trade with early visitors to the isla...

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269749

Accession Number: 2006.44.3615

Bowl with Handle

Carved and polished wooden bowl with doweled handle extending from just below the rim of the bowl. The bowl has a flat edge. Likely from the Pacific Islands.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269760

Accession Number: 2006.44.3616

Kava Bowl

Carved wooden kava bowl in an elongated oblong shape tapering to two pointed ends. Probably from Vanuatu. Kava is a drink used throughout the Pacific Islands for sacred, ceremonial and social purposes.

Maker: unknown

Material: wood (plant material)

GUSN: 269761

Accession Number: 2006.44.3617

Lei

Hawaiian multi-colored feather lei with yellow silk ribbons at either end. The feathers on this lei lay flat and tight along the horizontal, with yellow, red and green bands of feathers. Tradtionally, the lei would have been worn by high-status - or ali'i - women.

Maker: unknown

Material: feather (material)

GUSN: 269762

Accession Number: 2006.44.3618

Lei

A yellow feather lei from Hawaii with yellow silk ribbons at either end. The feathers lie flat and tight along the horizontal. Traditionally, feathered leis would have been worn by women of high status, known as ali'i.

Maker: unknown

Material: feather (material), silk (textile), yarn

GUSN: 269763

Accession Number: 2006.44.3619

Toaster

Silverchrome toaster (A) on black painted chrome base with four wooden feet; four black painted wooden handles (2 on each side) to open two doors in toaster to reveal mica panels on interior; doors have pierced double dash design surrounded by etched lines; one end of toaster has plug receiver; cord...

Date: 1930s-1940s

Maker: unknown

Material: chrome steel, wood (plant material), Bakelite (TM), mica (mineral), nylon, molding (forming)

GUSN: 267689

Accession Number: 2003.30.1AB

Toaster Cozy

Vinyl or plastic cozy; opaque white with red and white flowers and red trim with white stitching.

Date: 1930s-1940s

Maker: unknown

Material: plastic (organic material), machine sewing (technique)

GUSN: 267713

Accession Number: 2003.30.2

Wallpaper

Wallpaper fragments in what appears to be three patterns; 1) green ground with tan and white flowers and black dots; 2) white ground with red design; 3) border (appears to be border from pattern): white ground with red and gray flowers and green and black leaves

Date: probably early 19th century

Maker: unknown

Material: paper (fiber product), block printing (relief printing process)

GUSN: 267714

Accession Number: 2003.44

Brocatelle Fragment

Brocatelle fragment, with Renaissance Revival urns and dragons in red on a yellow ground. Multiple patches on back. Paper label "Mr. Sleeper's Sample".

Date: 1860-1880

Maker: unknown

Material: silk (textile), bast

GUSN: 267826

Accession Number: 2010.30.1.1

Wall sconce

Wall sconce with round brass wall plate [a] and frosted glass globe with flared edge [b].

Maker: unknown

GUSN: 267899

Accession Number: 1951.213AB

Wall sconce

Wall sconce with round silver plated finish [a] with a squat, bulbous shaped frosted glass globe [b].

Maker: unknown

GUSN: 267900

Accession Number: 1951.214AB

Unused Fabric

Unused drapery fabric; floral print on light blue ground; labeled on the selvage, "Markwood Fabrics...guaranteed to be Vat Prints".

Maker: unknown

GUSN: 267915

Accession Number: 1992.133

Unused Fabric

Unused drapery fabric; floral print on a pale rose background; labeled on the selvage, "Markwood Fabrics...guaranteed to be Vat Prints".

Maker: unknown

GUSN: 267916

Accession Number: 1992.134

Drop leaf table

Drop leaf table with triangular top, ball and claw feet.

Maker: unknown

Material: mahogany (wood)

GUSN: 267917

Accession Number: 1951.186

Joseph Lovering House, Jamaica Plains

Framed drawing; ink, graphite and watercolor on paper affixed to wooden stretcher. Drawing depicts a three-story brick house with three chimneys and palladian window over off-center doorway. Home of Joseph Lovering (1758-1848), the youngest participant in the Boston Tea Party. Wood, gilt, and gesso ...

Date: 1805-1815

Maker: Doggett, John (American mirror manufacturer, active 1809) (Framer)

Material: ink, graphite (mineral), watercolor (paint), paper (fiber product), wood (plant material), gilding, gesso

GUSN: 267926

Accession Number: 2003.34

Daguerreotype

Image of Lord Mansion in Kennebunkport, Maine. White house with five chimneys and a cupola surrounded by trees. White fence and street in foreground. Child stands in front of fence. Brown leather case with floral design; red velvet interior with floral design. Two hook closures.

Date: 19th century

Maker: unknown

Material: glass (material), leather, metal, velvet (fabric weave), wood (plant material)

GUSN: 267928

Accession Number: 2003.35

Plate

Porcelain plate with hand-painted violets tied with ribbon and scalloped rim with gold feathered edge.

Date: 1890-1900

Maker: Pouyat, J. (Maker)

Material: porcelain, glaze, hand-painted, overglaze (material)

GUSN: 267970

Accession Number: 2004.2.5.6

Chintz Fragment

Trapezoidal fragment, selvedge width. Floral rosette pattern on blue ground. Evidence of nail holes along cut edges on both sides.

Date: ca. 1818

Maker: Ovey, Richard (Designer) Probably Bannister Hall (Printer)

Material: cotton (textile)

GUSN: 268009

Accession Number: 1914.244R

Settle

Settle, Irving & Casson/A. H. Davenport, Boston, Massachusetts.

Date: 1922

Maker: Irving & Casson - A. H. Davenport Co.

Material: walnut (wood)

GUSN: 268035

Accession Number: 2012.109.1

Sideboard

Sideboard with shaped top with ovolo ends and wood gallery at back; pilaster supports at back; columnar supports at front; shaped shelf; veneered front with ormolu mount in center; shaped glass top.

Date: 1870-1880

Maker: unknown

Material: mahogany (wood), gilt bronze

GUSN: 268036

Accession Number: 1976.90.1