THE JOHN Hooper Federal Ladies Tambour Desk. Boston, Ma. Circa 1795 – 1800 Attributed to John & Thomas Seymour cabinet makers
ITEM: 112

This fine example of the federal period in Boston made for John Hooper with direct ownership in one family, attributed to Seymour cabinetmakers of Boston MA. The mahogany ladies tambour desk is in two sections, the Top section having two inlaid drawers with rosewood veneers above two tambour slides opening to pigeonhole sections and drawers with original robin’s egg blue paint typically associated with desks by these makers. Thecenter prospect door has a center mitered satinwood inlaid oval urn spray of flowers opening to smaller interior mahogany drawers. The fold down writing platform is above four tiger maple and mahogany banded inlaid drawers on an arched scalloped apron with tall feet.
Seymour attribution is based on similar examples of construction noted in the study by Robert Mussey Associates on Seymour cabinetmakers.
The HOOPER FAMILY line of ownership Provenance
- Samuel Hooper (1808-1875) from John Hooper 1776-1854. Father.
- Eunice Hooper 1781- 1866. Mother of Samuel.
MarbleHead and Boston MA. - John Henry Hooper-(1803-1884). Brother. Cana, Illinois.
- Eunice Hooper daughter (b 1843)
- Quintilla Cave Rust (1830-1912) and her son, James Harvey Rust
- (1856-1912) Kentucky and Cincinatti, Ohio aunt and first cousin of
above by inheritance. - Emma Virginia (Wiles) Rust (1858-1940). Widow of James
- Virginia Wiles ( Lucas ) Rogers, Abilene, Kansas, niece
Thence by descent in family.