Desk with hutch belonging to Etta Moten Barnett: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a carved wood desk (a) and detachable hutch (b). The desk and hutch are made of light-colored wood that has been carved and lacquered black. The front and sides of the desk (a) are covered with Asian-inspired style carvings of mythical creatures, flora and fauna. The front and sides of the desk has a scalloped skirt. The back is plain. The front of the desk has two small pull draws with carved wood handles. The four legs are curved and carved with abstract floral designs. The underside of the desk has tan paint splashed on the proper left side of the skirt. There is a white sticker with a reddecorative border with text that reads "MADE IN JAPAN." The hutch (b) is designed to sit on the top surface of the desk, flush with the back edge. There are three holes on the underside of the hutch presumably used to attach the hutch to the desk surface. The hutch has a high back with an uneven, scalloped edge. On are carvings of dragons and other mythical creatures against a stylized mountain and swirling clouds. Under these carvings is a shelf running the length of the hutch of varying heights. There is a small cupboard at each end of the hutch with a door that locks. Under the higher part of one of the cupboards is taller than the other; this cupboard also has a small drawer under it. Between the two cupboards are vertical stalls for holding letters. Both cupboards’ doors and all moldings are carved with mythical figures and designs. There are numerous chips and areas of loss in the lacquer throughout the piece.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1870-1930
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Owned by: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
• Type: cupboards
• Type: desks
• Medium: wood with lacquer
• Dimensions: H x W x D (a: desk): 30 9/16 × 35 7/8 × 24 in. (77.6 × 91.1 × 61 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (b: hutch): 23 5/8 × 34 15/16 × 8 1/4 in. (60 × 88.7 × 21 cm)
• Place used: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Black interiors
• Topic: Broadway Theatre
• Topic: Humanitarianism
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Women
• Object number: A2022.13.1.1ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: No known copyright restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.