Drink and be Merry

Object: Cellarette
Accession #: 1951.0013.0001 and 1970.0002      

During the 1700s and 1800s, affluent members of society acquired sophisticated and costly beverage accessories, including specialized furniture for storing drinking vessels. Cellarettes, or bottle chests, were made in fashionable designs and materials for dining rooms, parlors, or studies. They were both fashionable and practical, allowing the host to serve a wide assortment of wine and spirits from the comfort of the room.

            Traditionally, the cellarette was made of wood, often times mahogany, and with a hinged lid, that was frequently equipped with a lock.  The interior was often lined with metal or lead, and compartmentalized to hold up to twelve bottles or decanters.  They came in a variety of shapes and progressively grew taller, as did the wine bottles, in the 18th century. Common varieties were oval or rectangular with tapered or fluted legs on castors and were occasionally hooped with brass bands. Usually, they were kept under the centre of a sideboard or side table, and were rolled out for use. In some cases, the box portion of a cellarette could be detached from its base (you never knew when spirits would need to be hidden from unexpected guests).

Wilton has two contrasting cellarettes in the collection.  The first is a small mahogany English, George III hinged box from the late 18^th century with brass lion head ring handles. Its interior is finished with four compartments, currently housing glass decanter bottles.  The set of 18^th  century bottles share the qualities of rounded shoulders and a round glass stopper, as well as, being decorated with a gold leaf design consisting of flowers and leaves. Currently this cellarette is on display in the Randolph study. It makes more sense for this small piece to be used and portrayed there since it was more likely that of a personal collection of wines or spirits were kept for aside for the head of the house and his private guests while in that room, or for his own recreational use.

1970.0002

The second piece is a much grander cherry American, Federal style cellarette from the early 1800’s. The upper section is considered removable and also consists of a hinged lid with brass hardware.  The front has an inlay decoration of a stylized urn with leaves, while the stand is similarly inlaid on square tapering legs. The inlay’s consists of boxwood, ebony and rosewood on this piece. A larger, more elaborate cellarette such as this one, showcased in the Wilton dining room, displays the options of spirits to guests and made it’s  accessibility to guests quite easy.

   

American Decorative Arts Acquisitions . 81. Detroit Institute of Arts, 2007. 53-82. Web. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/23183095>. 

 Anderson, Jennifer. Mahogany: The Costs of Luxury in Early America. Harvard University Press, September 2012. 340. Web. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2jbszn>. 

Fletcher, Brigitte. "Trendy Wine Furniture." Antiques & Fine Art Magazine. <http://www.antiquesandfineart.com/articles/article.cfm?request=431>.

The Dumbwaiter Serves as a Genius Idea

Object name: Serving Table, or Dumbwaiter
Object ID: 1900.27

The dining experience at Wilton ranged from practical, everyday meals, to large dinner parties or celebrations.  In the mid -eighteenth century, having a specific place for such an occurrence was considered an absolute necessity in every prominent, fashionable house.  Since the dining room is the second most elaborate room at Wilton, after the parlor, it was customary to hold dinners for visiting guests in this space.

Breakfast was an informal meal and typically occurred between seven and ten o’clock in the morning. The buffet style meal consisted of rolls, biscuits, cold meats, coffees, teas, and chocolate.  Dinner was a much more formal meal; typically occurring between two and four o’clock in the afternoon. The meal could last hours and up to several courses could be served, including dishes such as meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, pies, rolls and wines.

Since kitchens were considered to be fire hazards and an annoyance, due to odors from supplies and trash, their locations were characteristically set away from the main house.  At the original location of Wilton, the prepared food was most likely brought through the basement door and into the warming kitchen until it was ready to be served in the dining room.  For dinners or formal occasions, Mrs. Randolph would have the slaves dress in all their finery to tend to the meal or have them wait in the nearby passageway to be called in for service.

Common dining room furnishings included large pieces such as a table and chairs to seat guests, to showcase the family’s fine china at place settings and display the courses for the meals. Sideboards and corner cupboards were kept in the room to store, display and protect the owners silver pieces and china. Smaller items, typical to this dining room, were items similar to looking glasses (mirrors), knife boxes and a dumbwaiter.


The dumbwaiter was used to hold the plates and dining fundamentals, as well as food or small platters of cheese and dessert throughout the duration of the meal. It could also hold the glasses and liquor bottles for later in the evenings, after meals have been completed.

Currently on display in the dining room, the mid-18^th century, three tiered, mahogany dumbwaiter within the Wilton collection is a fine example of what the Randolph’s might have owned. The table, given as a gift from the Roanoke Committee, in honor of Mrs. Granville Gray Valentine, exhibits a central spiral, turned column and cabriole legs that end with pointed pad feet.  In the warm summer months, dining outside was not uncommon. The dumbwaiter made it easy for the food and drinks to be brought out and served.

 Bibliography

Wenger, Mark R. "The Dining Room in Early Virginia." Perspectives in Vernacular Architecture. 3. (1989): 149-159. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3514301>.

 "Design and Decor - Convenience." Thomas Jefferson's Montecillo. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct 2013. <http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/design-and-decor-convenience>. 

Image Credit

Wilton House Museum