Desk and bookcase

Desk and bookcase

Nathaniel Gould

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Stately proportions, carefully chosen figured mahogany, and a lustrous old finish combine to make this the finest of the Salem secretaries with blocked drawers, arched door panels, and a broken-scroll pediment. The desk bears a remarkable inscription—Nathaniel Gould not his work—the latter part presumably penned by the talented journeyman who made the masterpiece and did not want his master to get credit for it!

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Desk and bookcaseDesk and bookcaseDesk and bookcaseDesk and bookcaseDesk and bookcase

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.