Attributed to Thomas Seymour

Made in Boston, this lady’s writing desk includes highly popularized French design elements, such as tamboured doors, elegant proportions, and slender tapered legs, and reflects the influence of the French Neoclassical style on late 18th-century and early 19th-century design, known in America as the Federal style. Federal furniture is characterized by intricate inlays, a skill at which New England cabinetmakers excelled. The drawer fronts are framed by thin strips of inlaid light wood, a technique known as stringing, while the legs and stiles are inlaid with cascading bellflowers. Further embellishments include the precisely formed ivory keyhole escutcheons and the royal blue and white enameled brass handles.