An embossed, painted and gilded leather side wall wall covering. Three golden mermaid figures act as the central motif; one in the lower right holds the stem of a flower with her tail scrolling into the arm of another in the uppper right corner, who is overlayed with a curling branch with a golden heart-shaped leaf and a large oval shaped fruit, the third gazes at the mermaid in the lower right and is overlayed by a large flower with elliptical petals and a golden striped shell. The three mermaids appear to be floating among flowers, fruit, shells and foliage.

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Object Timeline

1903	We acquired this object.
2016	We photographed this object.
2022	We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Sidewall, ca. 1700

This is a sidewall. It is dated ca. 1700 and we acquired it in 1903. Its medium is embossed leather, painted, gilded. It is a part of the Wallcoverings department.

Sarah and Eleanor collected embossed leather wallcoverings, antique wallpapers, and American bandboxes (lightweight boxes for carrying clothing accessories), amassing nearly 500 items, including over 100 gilt-leather pieces, such as the one on view here. Cooper Hewitt now holds the largest wallcoverings collection in North America.

This object was donated by George A. Hearn. It is credited Gift of George Arnold Hearn.

Its dimensions are

H x W: 32.5 x 29 cm (12 13/16 x 11 7/16 in.)

Cite this object as

Sidewall, ca. 1700; embossed leather, painted, gilded; H x W: 32.5 x 29 cm (12 13/16 x 11 7/16 in.); Gift of George Arnold Hearn; 1903-9-9

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Sarah & Eleanor Hewitt: Designing a Modern Museum.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2AXv4/
Accession Number 1903-9-9
Object ID 18137009