Federal inlaid walnut double-tiered breakfront sideboard South Carolina, circa 1800 superstructure raised on panels with quadrant-corner stringing centering tablet and bisected with pilasters inlaid with snake and goblet motifs, on lower case fitted with three drawers above central doors of elliptical form flanked by flat doors, on tapered legs with corresponding paterae and stringing headed with three-petaled inlay extending to ankle banding; yellow pine secondary wood. (Good restored condition; Condition and Treatment Report available) H42 1/4" W71 3/8" D22 1/2" *Provenance: Formerly belonged to the Hundley family of Newport News, Virginia, beginning the second half of the 19th century. Owner before Hundley family is unknown; presently owned by private collector in Virginia. The sideboard is recorded in the archives of the Museum of Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. *References: Burroughs, Paul H. SOUTHERN ANTIQUES. Richmond, VA: Garret & Massie, 1931. p.35, pl.5. Burton, E. Milby. CHARLESTON FURNITURE 1700-1825. Charleston, SC: Charleston Museum, 1955. figs.51-52. Rauschenberg, Bradford L. and John Bivens, Jr. THE FURNITURE OF CHARLESTON 1680-1820 VOLUME II: NEOCLASSICAL FURNITURE. Winston-Salem, NC: Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, 2003. pp.631-633, 645. *Note: The "snake and goblet" motif used on this sideboard depicts the disciple shield of John; an explanation of the symbol is as follows: John, brother of James and son of Zebedee, is thought to be the disciple "whom Jesus loved." While this disciple was not actually named in the Scriptures, many biblical scholars think this was true. Jesus did entrust his mother, Mary, to John at the foot of the cross. John's shield contains a chalice and serpent; legend states that when John was given a cup of poisoned wine to drink, he made the sign of the cross over the chalice and the poison became a serpent and crawled out. Tradition has it that John lived many years and escaped a martyr's death. Dover Place Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. "Christian Symbols." [Online] February 25, 2007. http://www.doverplacecc.org/symbols.htm