Object Record
Images
Additional Images [10]
Metadata
Object ID # |
2014.040.001abcd |
Object Name |
Cabinet |
Title |
Mirrored Victorian Sideboard |
Year Range from |
1885 |
Year Range to |
1900 |
Artist |
Ross, John |
Made |
Ross, John |
Place of Origin |
Leith, Municipality of Meaford, Grey County |
Description |
Heavy, vertical oak piece. It has three mirrors, two side-by-side drawers, bric-a-brac shelves and a cupboard with shelf storage space below. Many different patterns were used, most likely to show off the skill of the cabinet maker. There is an unusual, dark-finished, woven veneer splint panel. The two drawers have bevelled front edges and fancy, stamped brass pulls with pivoting grips. Between the drawers, there is an eight-pointed, inlaid star made with marquetry work. The lower cabinet door panels each have two Gothic, arched tiger-maple panels worked into them. There are nine side-by-side, bevelled wooden panels at the top, whose vertically-striped grain is likely tiger maple. Ten dark-finished, decorative wooden brackets above them draw the eye to the top of the piece. There are twenty-three round, inverted and grooved knob-style turnings alternating with wooden scallops at the bottom of the cornice. Flat-headed, slotted screws, nails, tenon pegs and glue were used in the joinery. Convex wooden button caps were used to hide attachment holes at the front. The drawers were built using round nails. There is reeding and hand-carving in the columnar uprights. Large, convex and concentric ring motifs embellish the large front brackets. There are two plain, round motifs with round, central sockets at the front. |
Makers mark |
There is a pencilled signature. The back side has a sideways pencilled signature of John. "John" is distinct, might have had more beside it,but it is not distinct. When the drawers are out, one can look at the underside of the top and there is a large pencil scrawl of what appears to be Ross, but the top half of the R is not visible. [John Ross] Also, he used a script "J" in two places as centring marks at the back. |
Provenance |
Made by John Ross of Leith, Grey County, between 1885 and 1900 for Hugh McKay, who farmed at Lot 28, Concession A, about one mile north of Leith. It was moved from his residence in Leith to his cottage near the Long Swamp sometime prior to 2014. Donna McKay-Mills (Hugh McKay's daughter) told museum staff that it was "built by the man who built the original pulpit at the Leith Presbyterian Church" (John Ross). Ross was born on October 19, 1867, and was an expert cabinet maker. According to the 1901 census, he resided in Leith at Lot 31, Concession A, with his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Harkness, and his wife, Frances Ross. He may have later moved to Alberni, British-Columbia. Last owned by Donna McKay-Mills of Owen Sound, Grey County. |
Collection |
Furniture, 19th-c Collection |
Material |
Wood/Metal/Finish/Glass/Glue/Brass |
Dimensions |
H-83.268 W-57.874 D-23.031 inches |
Found |
Owen Sound, Grey County |
People |
Ross, John McKay, Hugh McKay, James Wesley (Wes) McKay, Donald Gordon (Doug) McKay, Kenneth Russell McKay, Olive |
Subjects |
Furniture Woodworking Dining rooms Cabinets (Case furniture) Cabinetmaking |
Search Terms |
Victorian Leith (Village of) Sydenham Township |