Bureau Table c. 1770

This Bureau Table was made by John Townsend, an 18th century furniture maker working in Newport, Rhode Island. It is a highly stylized piece of furniture which serves as a potent reminder of the early American economy and its reliance on slavery. The visual codes and cultural references are overt. Note the elaborate shell carvings, which are typical of Newport furniture. Mahogany, the wood from which it's made, was not native to North America. Rather, it was imported from the West Indies, whose plantations were central to the transatlantic slave trade. Moreover, the table's refined design and expensive materials indicate that it was made for a wealthy client, a member of the merchant class who profited directly or indirectly from that trade. As historians, we use a variety of resources, from account books to shipping manifests, to understand the economic and social conditions in which objects like this were made. By studying these objects, we gain insight into the complex relationship between art, labor, and social status in early America.