Sideboard

A handful of serpentine front sideboards of this type are known with Kentucky provenances, probably made in two distinct shops. Porter Clay, who was raised in Kentucky from a young age and trained in the Lexington shop of Thomas Whitney, spent a year (1798-1799) working in a New York City cabinetshop and brought New York fashion, designs, and construction back to Kentucky with him. Some of the sideboards in this group are attributed to his shop; others including this example are attributed to a second unidentified shop. Serpentine fronted sideboards, while popular in urban centers in the early years of the 19th century, were a new form, especially in Kentucky. With the shaping, the tambour, and the magnificent, figured cherry veneers, these Kentucky sideboards rivaled East coast examples in style and fashion, elevating the elite Bluegrass homes in which they were owned.
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