Collection: Furniture and Woodwork

For over forty years the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts has collected many of the finest examples of southern-made furniture.  These objects demonstrate how the early South evolved, inform us about the diverse peoples who came here, and illuminate the artisans who were integral to the process. Whether they were English, Scottish, Irish, German, African, or French, Southern cabinetmakers utilized their materials at hand, both native and imported, to create furniture that speaks to us about their heterogeneous backgrounds and the multifaceted aspects of their everyday lives. These craftsmen contributed to the dynamic amalgamation of art, culture, and history that forms the basis for MESDA’s ongoing study of the early South.