Corner Cabinet

Craftsman Workshops

1911 (ca.)

66 ¾ x 51 x 26 ½ inches

Oak, glass, copper

1999.75.2

Museum Purchase, 1999

Gustav Stickley (by 1911); sold with the contents of Craftsman Farms in 1917 to George and Sylvia Farny; by descent to Cyril Farny; Barbara Streisand; purchased with companion corner cabinet at Christie’s, New York, 29 November 1999, lots 417 and 418.

In addition to the large sideboard that dominated the dining room, these corner cabinets helped to define the space and provide additional opportunities for storage and display. While the form is fairly unremarkable, these were crucial to the aesthetic of the dining room because they helped ameliorate the rectilinear monotony of the chestnut walls and introduced a sense of lightness to the room. Not only did the canted fronts reduce the impression of massiveness, but the glass helped to catch and reflect additional light into the room. The slight curving of the backboards at the top front ends relates these pieces formally to other aspects of the home, especially the chestnut bookcases in the living room.