Furniture Hardware 1820 - 1830

Henry Kellam Hancock rendered these furniture hardware designs, likely on paper, sometime before his death in 1851. The designs are characterized by a central keyhole surrounded by elaborate floral and foliate patterns. The wreath of foliage, often seen in classical and Renaissance art, symbolizes victory, eternity, and cyclical renewal. It has adorned the heads of heroes and gods in ancient Roman sculptures, resurfacing in Renaissance paintings as a sign of cultural rebirth. Note how, on one of the designs, a pair of birds flank the keyhole. Birds, often associated with freedom and the soul's journey, here add a layer of psychological depth, perhaps hinting at the secrets and stories locked away within the furniture these designs might adorn.