Although it is best known for its world-class collections of antique glass and ceramics, Chattanooga's Houston Museum also contains a number of extremely rare pieces of American antique furniture, predominantly Southern.

The furniture, used for many of the impressive museum displays of the glass, china and pottery collections, was also part of Mrs. Houston's collection.

The finest piece of furniture in the Houston Collection, a Pennsylvania red walnut Welsh cupboard, circa 1780-1790, has the original buttermilk paint in its interior and spoon slots. It displays important examples of art glass, including Peach Blow, Burmese and Plated Amberina.

Colorful earthenware tobacco jars are displayed in this cherry bookcase from Tennessee, circa 1820-1830. The jars include animal and human figures. A large glass bottle for storing gin rests below the handsome bookcase housing the humidors.

A nanny rocking bench in pine, poplar and hickory, circa 1810-1820, is featured in the museum's pattern or pressed glass room, which displays many rare pieces, including an impressive sampling of coin glass and at least 600 different patterns.

Antique Toby jugs and face mugs are displayed in a 19th century pine and poplar revival style corner cupboard with a Victorian mix of Queen Anne and Pennsylvania Dutch. Rattail hinges, butterfly shelves and arch doors with a keystone above them set off the piece. Its architectural boss echoes the lintels above doorways of the house completed in 1900.

This Windsor writing armchair is one of the most important pieces in the Houston Museum's southern furniture collection. From Tennessee, circa 1790, it is made of several woods, with a drawer underneath the seat. A number of art glass pitchers are displayed on the adjacent window shelving.

A cherry sugar chest, circa 1830, holds a melodious Regina antique music box, which visitors hear playing discs during their guided tours. The Houston collection includes 13 antique music boxes and three antique sugar chests. As this music box is played, beautiful tones fill the entire building and bring visitors special pleasure.

This handsome Tennessee cherry sideboard, circa 1800-1825, is raised on square tapering legs. The drawers have inlaid kite escutcheons, and most of the knobs are original. This fine piece has pine as its secondary wood. Atop the sideboard, American ceramic pitchers flank a cranberry glass epergne, the epitome of Victorian table decoration.

The downstairs front parlor at the Houston Museum houses this cherry Jackson press with holly bellflower inlay and pine interior, circa 1810-1830, filled with Chinese export porcelain. The Houston has many fine examples of Rose Medallion, Rose Mandarin and Rose Canton china.

A Tennessee chest, circa 1835 to 1845, is a focal point in the children's room upstairs. The four-drawer tiger maple empire piece has a rectangular top, an outset drawer with turned wooden knobs and reverse spiral carved half columns. The kerosene lamp on the chest features a round top shade and font painted with angel heads. It was made by Bradley and Hubbard, circa 1870-80. Other items gracing the chest include a doll with china head, boudoir bottles and a ceramic clock.

An American cherry corner cupboard, circa 1800-1820, made in Tennessee, holds most of the Houston's Mary Gregory-type glass pieces in an extensive array of colors and types. The cupboard features a reeded frieze above reeded stiles flanking two glazed doors with six rectangular panes and molded mullions. The glassware is a favorite of many collectors. The original Houston collection included Mary Gregory-type glass, and over the years a number of pieces have been donated.

A primitive pine stepback cupboard, made in Tennessee in the mid 19th century, holds the museum's important collection of occupational shaving mugs and pot lids. The late 19th century mugs were popular barbershop paraphernalia and bore their owners' names and illustrations of their occupations.

 

 

A country Hepplewhite blanket or "mule" chest with poplar top and pine drawers, circa 1825, holds art glass cruets and a rare marriage lamp. The piece is termed "mule" because it is a hybrid, a combination of a chest of drawers and a blanket chest. The marriage lamp at right, patented in 1870 by Daniel C. Ripley, has two fluid fonts united on one base. There is a striker on the neck and a match holder between the fonts. The lamp is blue opaque with a clam broth match holder.

 

A Tennessee country empire secretary-bookcase, circa 1840, provides display area for Gaudy Welsh and Gaudy Dutch ceramic pieces, paperweights, a lithopane and more. Shelves in the window close by display art glass bottles, fairy lamps and syrup pitchers. The unique piece of furniture suggests it might have been custom made for a special individual.

Children's toys and miniatures of all descriptions are housed in this late 18th century tulip poplar wood corner cupboard with spoon racks and a light green painted interior. One treasure in the cupboard is a tiny butterfly-handled teaset, and there are kewpie dolls, tiny lead soldiers and miniature furniture displayed there as well. Dolls with china and bisque heads are seated on either side of this piece of furniture.

This Tennessee cherry corner cupboard, circa 1790-1820, has a coved cornice over a reeded frieze and reeded stiles flanking a single door with 12 glazed panels. Two flat panel cupboard doors are below the molded waist. Royal Bayreuth tapestry pieces and Belleck are among the treasures within the cupboard.