Mantel from Elias Hasket Derby House, Salem, Massachusetts 1798

This is a mantel from the Elias Hasket Derby House in Salem, Massachusetts, crafted by Samuel McIntire. McIntire, a prominent architect and woodcarver, was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries during a time when America was establishing its identity post-revolution. The mantel, with its neoclassical motifs and elegant proportions, embodies the refined tastes of the merchant elite like Derby who were shaping early American society. But this was also a period of intense social stratification. The wealth that enabled such displays of artistry was often derived from maritime trade, which at that time, was deeply entangled with the institution of slavery. The decorative carvings evoke classical ideals of beauty and harmony but might also prompt us to consider the labor and the social inequalities that underpinned such aesthetic achievements. This mantel isn’t just a decorative object; it's a marker of a complex history, one that speaks to both the aspirations and the contradictions of the new republic.