Tea Caddy Dark wood with light wood inlay. Hinged lid. Center of box contains scenes of dark skinned men and women in merchant dress-small key hole in front.
Extremely large Japanese porcelain bowl. White ground with blue decoration. Footed with sea waves on base and three rows of slanted lines on neck of base. Outside of bowl has cranes and bamboo depicted in white with blue ground color.
This bowl was presented as a gift of state to President Buchanan in 1860 by the Japanese delegates representing the Tokugawa shogunate government. The bowl was created by Jihei Kawamoto as one of two bowls for sake. It reflects the Emperor's personal symbol and his regard for James Buchanan marking a new and firm friendship between Japan and the United States.
Provenance
Following the assasination of Abraham Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln marked the bowl as an item to sell to pay for some of the debts she was struggling under. Her friend and advisor, George Riggs advised her not to sell the bowl. He made her an offer for the bowl and she sold it to him. Mr. Rigg's daughter, Jane, inherited the bowl and eventually bequeatherd it to Miss Mary F. McMullen who in turn bequeathed it to Mr. J.B. McMullen. A distant relative of James Buchanan, Mr. Wylie Buchanan, purchased the bowl from McMullen and donated it to the Wheatland collection in 1960.
Belonged to James Buchanan as President. Left white house sometime after and was in possession of Geo. Washington Riggs by mid-May 1865. Remained in Riggs family until 1930 when given to a family servent Mary McMullen.
Rosewood bed with walnut, poplar, and pine. Headboard higher than footboard, but identical in shape. Arched crest with c-curved finish. This is repeated with molding below and on footboard. Molding is cyma-curved and appears on the outside of footboard and inside of headboard. The top of each post is capped with a round finial that transitions to squat bun above a smooth cylinder above a ring and ball shape that transitions to ring and vase surmounting an octagonal post terminates on bun feet Scroll cut brackets connect the posts to the side rails that feature cyma-curved molding.
Bed is higher at headboard than at footboard. Footboard height is 42.625'.
Condition
Excellent
Condition Date
2022-11-10
Condition Notes
Restoration done in 1992-1993 by David Weaver, cabinetmaker, Quarryville, PA. Restoration of rosewood.
Object ID
W.1992.001.039
Notes
Harriet had this custom built with large dimensions to accomodate her Uncle James Buchanan's size. It was intended for his use whenever he would visit her at her Baltimore, Maryland home.
