Music Cabinet
Maker
Guild of Handicraft
(London, British, 1888 - 1909)
Designerdesigned by
Charles Robert Ashbee
(British, 1863 - 1942)
Collections
ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS
Dateca. 1895
Mediumoak, stained green with well patinated wrought iron mounts backed by red Morocco leather
Dimensions66 1/2 x 27 x 19 1/2 in. (168.9 x 68.6 x 49.5 cm.)
DescriptionA music cabinet in Art Nouveau Style.
InscribedStamped on all five drawers: THE GUILD OF HANDICRAFT LTD./ ESSEX HOUSE/ BOW E.
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with funds from the Adele S. Browning Memorial Art Fund, the Frances Crandall Dyke Bequest, and the Schweppe Art Acquisitions Fund
Label TextAshbee was deeply influenced by the teachings of William Morris. The two reformers shared a belief that the hand-crafted objects benefited the craftsman and consumer alike. His workshop, the Guild of Handicraft, employed poor laborers as metalworkers and cabinetmakers, producing hand-crafted furniture pieces such as this music cabinet. As in many of Morris's early furniture designs, Ashbee's cabinet displays an emphasis on simplicity in construction and a straightforward use of natural materials.Status
On viewObject number2006.11
