AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

This paper will detail the technical examination, digital planning, and physical reconstruction of missing pieces of a 17th century kas, or Dutch cupboard, in the H.F. Dupont Winterthur Collection (object number 1952.0049). Review of the kas before its inclusion in an exhibition of New York furniture at the Winterthur Museum revealed stylistic inconsistencies with other 17th century New York kasten as well as evidence of obvious compositional changes with regards to the design over time prompting the question: does the current appearance of the kas reflect its early 17th century appearance?

The kas was subjected to thorough visual examination and instrumental analysis to answer this question. Documentation in varying light sources (visible, ultraviolet, x-radiation) allowed for identification of clear areas of intervention on the exterior. Surface coatings were analyzed through pyrolysis gas chromatography mass-spectroscopy (PyGCMS), x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and optical microscopy, to identify and compare coating histories across the object. Wood identification of select decorations provided information about materials’ provenance. Findings of the combined analysis supported the hypothesis that the kas had been significantly altered since its creation and no longer reflected its original appearance. Given the Winterthur Museum’s designation as a research collection and the curatorial goals to return the kas to display as an example of 17th century American furniture at the museum, the kas was reversibly altered to reflect a more likely original appearance. Digital alterations of the kas based off of gathered evidence and historical cognates were drafted and shared for peer review. The agreed upon missing or altered pieces of the kas were then constructed from congruous materials and attached in a reversible manner which preserved evidence of original construction and past treatment to the kas to allow future study.