I’d like to start a new feature on Rare Victorian, which I hope will last beyond this one post, called “For The Record”.  The aim is to profile some less prolific, less visible, or “lost” cabinetmakers from the Victorian era.  I’ll especially try to target makers whose pieces seem to be anonymously floating (or wrongly attributed) out there in the marketplace under our very noses, but that may not always be part of the criteria.  I may profile a maker whom a pocket of RV readers are familiar with, but the goal will be to expose the broader readership of Rare Victorian to them as well.

The above table was made by Israel Fellows of Salem, Massachusetts.  Israel was born Aug 28, 1814 in Ipswich, Massachussetts and died Mar 07, 1881.  He married Catherine H. Goldsmith June 14, 1838 in Salem and they had five children together.  That’s about all I could glean from the world on Israel Fellows.

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This parlor table is very similar to a table in the “Styles of American Furniture” book on page 67.  There appears to be differences in the inlay wood choices resulting in a rosier (Rosewood) color to this table.  The incising patterns on the lower section vary between them, as does the number of undulations on the paw feet. The contrasting Rosewood drawer looked out of place surrounded by ebonized wood, but in comparing it to the table in the book, I confirmed that to be intentional.  Even with the variations between the two, I would still not hesitate to state that the two tables were made by the same maker, which the seller, DuMouchelles, is attributing to be Pottier & Stymus.

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I don’t run across fine Neo-Grec, ebonized, Rosewood chairs like these too often.  Each chair has a bronze plaque in the back splat, one of a male figure and the other of a female.  There is ample ormolu throughout the chair and if I were the current owner, I would try to examine the back of the lion for a possible “P.S.” stamp (Pottier & Stymus) as is true of my Egyptian Revival set.

They are most likely of New York origin and the seller’s attribution to either Pottier & Stymus or Herter Brothers isn’t a stretch due to the fine quality.  The seller is asking $5,000 for the pair with free shipping provided.  I feel that they will go unsold due to the current state of the market - Victorian and Wall Street, both.  More photos at the listing.

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