Tieback
date: label: date made
content: 1876
label: used date
content: 1876
notes: label: Description
content: Tieback (part of set 60.400a-60.402d). Corded tieback with two loops, a central bead, and tassels. The cord of the tieback is a solid medium blue strand twisted with a light and medium blue twisted strand. The cord forms two loops like a bow and the center is secured by a hollow wooden bead that the cords pass through. The bead is wrapped in blue silk thread with stripes of twisted cord. At the end of each cord is a three-tiered tassel. The form of the tassel is wood wrapped with thread and stripes of three tiny, twisted cords. In between the tassel beads sit smaller spacers wrapped in light blue thread. Around the center of the spacers and the center of the middle bead is a strip of thread wrapped horizontally. The fringe of the tassels has three different shades of blue. There are dark blue and medium blue cotton cords in the center, and 6 blue silk strands evenly distributed around the edge. The thread wrapping on the beads is breaking off in places. The bead that holds the two loops has significant bald patches. The silk threads only remain on in small amounts on either side of the twisted cord. The leftmost tassel has significant thread breakage, particularly on the top bead.
label: Description
content: This tieback (part of set 60.400a-60.402d) was donated by Charles Holten as part of a gift containing a bedroom and suite from the home of Richard Kennerdell, an American manufacturer from Pennsylvania. Kennerdell opened a wool, iron, saw, and grist mill in Venango County in western Pennsylvania during the 1850s (page 54 of scanned accession file). The mill grew, and Richard Kennerdell built the town of Kennerdell, Pennsylvania around his mill. The objects in the set came from his grand mansion in his town. Sadly, the house has since been destroyed. The damask fabric of the blue draperies corresponds to blue damask panels in the bedframe and the towel rack from the grand bedroom. According to the family, the objects in the set were bought at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876 (page 56 of scanned accession file). The furnishings are most likely manufactured by Allen and Brother of Philadelphia, notable furniture makers in this time. The wooden furniture contains the markings of the company, and the set matches examples from their published book of object displayed at the Exhibition. The draperies and bedroom set are examples of Victorian furniture in the French style inspired by Louse XIV. The rich damask valances evoke luxury and splendor.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: used
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Kennerdell
label: sold
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
topic: label: associated subject
content: Exhibitions
label: associated subject
content: Manufacturing
label: related event
content: Centennial Exposition
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
label: See more items in
content: Domestic Furnishings
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles W. Holton
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.60.0400c
label: catalog number
content: 60.0400c
label: accession number
content: 228471
objectType: label: Object Name
content: tieback
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cord, wood, thread (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ice blue, ceruelean, dark blue (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 17 in x 23 3/4 in x 2 1/4 in; 43.18 cm x 60.325 cm x 5.715 cm