Furniture

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.

Colorful earthenware tobacco jars are displayed in this cherry bookcase from Tennessee, circa 1820-1830.

The finest piece of furniture in the Houston Collection, a Pennsylvania red walnut 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.

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.

Antique Toby jugs and face mugs are displayed in a pine and poplar revival style corner cupboard, circa 1870-1890, 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.

A cherry sugar chest, circa 1830, holds a melodious Regina antique music box, which visitors can hear playing discs.

Rookwood tiles produced by the popular American art pottery creator in Cincinnati, Ohio, set off a fireplace in the museum's pattern glass room. A pair of Staffordshire dogs are displayed at every fireplace in the house.

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. Art glass baskets are displayed on the adjacent window shelving.