AFA Summer 2019

Summer 110 www.afamag.com |  www.incollect.com Table, unidentified maker, Eastern North Carolina, ca. 1830–1840. Painted yellow pine and tulip poplar. 28 x 31½ x 26 in. Purchase with funds from Virginia Campbell Courts (1997.200). Produced in the Bladenboro area of Bladen County, North Carolina, this diminutive table of pine and poplar construction reflects the individual spirit of its presumptive owner, if not maker, Bethel Mears. The name emblazoned on the drawer is likely that of Bladen County resident Bethel Mark Mears (1803–1884). While it is unclear if Mears had any role in the creation of the work, its sturdy construction shows the hand of a reasonably accomplished maker with the cabinetmaking skills to produce the joinery and turn the distinctively shaped legs. The design of the table, from its legs to its exaggerated scalloped apron, are indicative of rural furniture of the region in which bold proportions and equally bold colors — here original to the table — provided drama, whimsy, and delight.