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American, Lexington area, Fayette County, Kentucky
Sideboard, 1800 ‑ 1815
Cherry, walnut, probably eastern hophornbeam, probably American holly, other woods, bone, celluloid.
39 1/4 × 25 3/4 × 67 1/4 in. (99.7 × 65.4 × 170.8 cm.)
Gifts and bequests of generous donors, by exchange 2012.1
The Sumptuous Sideboard
In the Middle Ages, wealthy diners might eat at a type of table referred to as a sideboard. The sideboard as we recognize it today, offering a combination of storage and display, developed in the 1700s. Within its drawers and compartments, owners stored textiles, silverwares, liquor, candles, and similar domestic goods. In early nineteenth-century Kentucky, estate inventories and other sources show that sideboards were often among the most expensive pieces of furniture one could own.
