AFA 22nd Anniversary

22nd Anniversary 104 www.afamag.com |  www.incollect.com Although this print source has previously been noted, this is the first evidence that Johannes Mayer himself was in possession of an example. The image of the praying child on the fraktur is itself derived from a famous painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds, The Infant Samuel , exhibited at the Royal Academy, London, in 1776. 5 Reexamination of this chest also led to another new discovery—the name “Sara Hefer” written in German script on the back in a red pencil or crayon (Fig. 7). She is most likely the original owner, although thus far a positive identification has not been made. CHEST OF DRAWERS With more than thirty examples known to survive, chests of drawers such as this example (Fig. 8) are one of the most common t ypes of Mahantongo Va lley furniture. Most examples have either turned wooden or brass knobs; the Dietrich Foundation’s chest of drawers recently had period-correct brass knobs installed to replace inaccurate glass knobs of a later date. Dated 1833 at the center front of the top board, this chest of drawers is closely related to the only known signed example by Johannes Mayer. Both are comprised of four graduated drawers with sturdy, rail-and-stile construction. The feet are turned extensions at the bottom of the stiles, a more slender version, with the same profile as the chunkier turned feet on chests such as the one illustrated in figure 5. The vivid yellow and green painted decoration on this chest of drawers and other Mahantongo Valley furniture reveals that local craftsmen swiftly adopted the use of chrome yellow and, by mixing it with Prussian blue, chromium oxide green. As chrome yellow did not become commercially available until about 1818 (following the discovery of major chromium mines near Baltimore), dated furniture such as this 1833 chest of drawers helps to document how quickly it came into use even in rural areas such as the Mahantongo Valley. 6 KITCHEN CUPBOARD The Dietrich Foundation also owns a rare Mahantongo Valley kitchen cupboard, also known as a kitchen dresser (Fig. 9). It is the most elaborate example of this form known, with a pair of triple-arched glazed doors and twenty-two boldly turned half-spindles applied across the facade. The countertop is attached to the upper section and sets on top of the base section—a distinctive feature of Mahantongo Valley kitchen cupboards. Nearly a ll other Pennsylvania German k itchen cupboards are constructed with the countertop affixed to the base section; the top then sets down into a groove. The latter can more readily tip over, particularly when both of the upper doors are open, whereas the Mahantongo Valley examples are much more stable. The interior of the upper section contains four shelves that would hold an ample quantity of ceramics, glass, and other household items. With their use of bold imagery and a vibrant palette, the Mahantongo Valley’s furniture makers and decorators took some of the most common forms of household furniture and turned them into extraordinary works of art. Additional examples of this furniture are in the collections of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum of Colonial Williamsburg, American Folk Art Museum, Barnes Foundation, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Winterthur Museum.  Fig. 8 : Chest of drawers, attributed to Johannes Mayer (1794–1883). Upper Mahanoy Township, Northumberland County, Pa., 1833. Yellow poplar, pine, paint. H. 49½, W. 43⅝, D. 21½ inches. The Dietrich American Foundation (8.2.3.1233). Photo by Gavin Ashworth.