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Room Tour at Winterthur, Part Two

Bob's Winterthur tour continues. After a brief stop to admire some fine cabinetry work attributed to the Dunlap family of New Hampshire, Vila and Eversmann tour one of Winterthur's most ornate room. The high-style architecture of the Blackwell Parlor features elaborate pediments above the doors and a fireplace mantel with intricately carved friezes that evoke Philadelphia Rococo style. The work is among the most highly regarded examples of craftsmanship of the mid-18th century. The room's furniture with its hairy paw feet and elaborate carving, attributed to Philadelphia's General John Cadwalader, represents the most sophisticated and high-style furnishings of the era.
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Room Tour at Winterthur, Part Two

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" Now is this also a Pennsylvania room. No this room actually is from New Hampshire as is the corner cupboard and you know we were just looking at the -- in the hot style house and this is equally interesting but a contractor who made all of this while the architecture and then most of the furniture in the room is attributed to the Dunlap family of New Hampshire very prominent group of New Hampshire cabinet makers in the late eighteenth century. Just again look at the details of -- fleeing across the top. And then this really unusual scallop work here. I think it's beautiful colors. Are vermilion and and it would you call this blue this is actually prussian blue -- probably heard that word used before and the the prussian blue and the vermilion are. Original and this is original paint which it which again makes it an extraordinary copper. The ceramics are I think very interesting their from the staffordshire region in England and they're referred to as tortoise shell where. Can you show us another parlor is that we're that's really sophisticated oh yes be happy -- against them. Okay I'm Bob you wanted to see high style architecture this is about it I'm proud weekend am when it. Let's just start looking right here look at the pediment over the door yeah. They open that up now let's move over here in the fireplace. -- let us all carved wood it's not plaster work its hand carved what it is not plaster work. Just just look at all the decoration as you come down this this mantelpiece. From the cornice which must be five parts to the over mental surrounding you know some rococo going on here I'll -- absolutely this is. This is what we refer to as Philadelphia rococo without it was the highest style in the colonies at this particular time. The closest we get to imitating English. And French carving it's because in point of fact. These were probably carved by English craftsman who immigrated to would be the colonies. What are we looking at in this this -- well what -- looking at are fables and the interesting thing is that all three of the fables have to do with creed probably the one most easily recognizable is the dog in the Manger here in the center. I've always been fascinated by the fact that an extremely wealthy philadelphians. Chose to enshrine his greed has at war with -- arm with fables on his mantelpiece that that that. That pay tribute if you will agreed sure now when your when you're looking again at this deep carving and what you just come on over here and look at -- look at the furniture. So there's also Philadelphia -- and actually we think that the same person who carved the mantelpiece may well have been involved in the carving of much of this furniture. This is a very particular kind of foot form we call a hairy paw and then very deep carving that you see here on me on the leg now the furnishings in the room aren't they. Associated with a famous Philadelphia absolutely when you see Harry -- you usually think of general John -- water with a hugely wealthy philadelphians company down. 1760s. And as a matter of fact we probably have some markets furniture over here now tell us about the details here well again you see that very deep carving and then you come on down here you see the hairy paw. No it was hard to do. I Steelers -- things up but if you think it's hard to do that look look look let your -- look around here and then come on over. To this -- can't just -- carving and then the good tool that you see along the front of the chair. That would be extremely difficult to do. We'll see that same kind of -- over here in the kitchen table. Now this tea table has what we call a claw and ball foot that's that's also very. If a culture car but it wouldn't have been as high style as the hairy clock is really the epitome of fashion."

" You weren't going into a cabinetmaker shop and buying this stuff off the shelf and I'm wondering if this is what we called the spoke work that is you wedding you customized the piece of furniture and so the more money you had the more."

" The more -- elaborate you could be in your decoration and in your requests right."

" Well this is really spectacular room here wonder where it is indeed what collection too bad we can't see on it not a very nice thing happening consumer."

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