Brackets for Marble Slabs, in Chippendale Drawings, Vol. I 1754

This sheet of paper holds designs for 'Brackets for Marble Slabs' rendered by Thomas Chippendale sometime in the 18th century. The medium here is ink on paper, humble materials for such elaborate designs. These brackets would have been made through time-honored traditions of carving and joinery, skilled labor translated into high-end commodities. The designs themselves speak of a culture of consumption, where even the most functional elements of a home—the brackets that hold up marble slabs—are ornamented to project status. Chippendale’s genius was to synthesize different aesthetic vocabularies into a distinctive style. He drew inspiration from sources as diverse as gothic architecture, rococo flourishes, and Chinese latticework, evident in the range of designs seen here. The production of these objects involved the labor of many hands, from the initial design to the final carving and assembly. So, next time you encounter a piece of furniture, consider the journey of its making. It is a reminder that even the most decorative objects are rooted in labor, materials, and social context.