Title

Settle

Date1696

MediumOak

Dimensions46 1/2 × 74 × 18 1/2 in. (118.1 × 188 × 47 cm)

Donor credit lineGift of the Norfolk Charitable Trust.

Object number2012.67

Institutional Credit LineCourtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum

DescriptionSettles are long wooden benches with backrests and arms, originating in Europe. They were often derived from chests and sometimes incorporated elements from monastic choir stalls. This carved oak “settle” is likely of English manufacture. It is made with a tall wainscot back and is carefully hand-carved with profuse arched and foliate decoration in two tiers of four over five paneled sections on plank seat with shaped arms and turned arm support and front legs. It has a square section box stretcher all around. Lovely rich dark polished patina. Wooden pegged mortice and tenon construction.

The settle is carved with "REES / 1696" along the top panel. This piece of furniture was owned by the Rees family of Dordrecht in the province of South Holland who were active merchants in the whale fishery. Matheus and Mathys Rees owned De Jufrou Johanna of Dordrecht, that traveled for ten voyages to the Davis Strait fishery between 1710 and1720. It is an excellent example of Baroque-era Netherlandish furniture and comes from one of the leading families of the Dutch Arctic whale fishery: the Rees of Terschelling were involved in whaling in one way or another from the early 1600s to 1961, both in sailing-ship days and in the Antarctic pelagic whaling industry.

ProvenanceDescended in the Rees family

On View

Not on view