19th Century American Gothic Scarcity Cabinet / Altar Tabernacle

Details

Description

A rare, large scale, antique, circa 1885, hand carved and painted white, parcel gilt sacristy cabinet that once held important … Read more A rare, large scale, antique, circa 1885, hand carved and painted white, parcel gilt sacristy cabinet that once held important sacred religious objects of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Logansport, Indiana.

Dating to the late 19th century, commissioned by the late Rev. Henry Koehne (1835-1907), likely collaborating with Chicago architect Adam Boos.

Hand-crafted in Gothic Romanesque taste, architectural cathedral steeple form, the large tabernacle having a single door with recessed gilded tracery, opening to reveal a large spacious interior that once held important religious relics, topped with a spire that once held a finial that's been lost to time. The door is flanked by ornate neoclassical corinthian capital columns, having an unfinished plank boarded back.

The tabernacle stands atop a fitted and shaped pedestal, resting on two board platform, decorated with sculptural undulating scalloped ornamentation, rising on a plinth base.

Please note, at the time of writing this, a pair of matching sconces as seen in the last photo is currently available separately.

History:
In August of 1872 Bishop Joseph Dwenger appointed Rev. Henry Koehne pastor of St. Joseph's. Within ten years the parish had grown to the point of needing to build a larger church, which was done in 1884-85. The first collection taken up for this project amounted to nearly $4,000. Excavations began in 1884 and the corner stone was laid on July 12, 1885. By the end of December 1885 the magnificent church was completed and the entire edifice was under roof.

Dimensions: (approx)
Overall:
54.5" High, 24.75" Wide, 18.75" Deep

Altar tabernacle only:
43.25" H, 23.75" W, 13.5" D

Base/stand only:
11.25" H, 24.75" W,, 18.75" D

Very good antique condition overall, especially considering age. Beautifully aged patina over the whole, strong, sturdy and structurally sound, with desirable wear, heavily distressed, weathered, worn, chippy paint finish with wonderful craquelure. Substantial paint and finish losses. Historical, interesting, highly decorative, exceptionally scarce, and full of elegant antique character.Overall a superb example, exceptionally executed, interesting, conversational, slightly unusual and highly decorative, this exceptionally scarce one-of-a-kind works is full of elegant, sophisticated antique character and charm. Sure to be a majestic addition to any home, church or religious folk art collection.

Provenance:
History of Cass County, Indiana: From the Earliest Time to the Present: Together with an Extended History of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the State of Indiana
Thomas B. Helm, Brant and Fuller, 1886

Cass County Indiana History; November 14, 2017. Subtitle: St. Joseph Catholic Church Logansport Indiana. http://cassindianahistory.blogspot.com/2017/11/st-joseph-catholic-church.html?m=1

Logansport Pharos-Tribune Newspaper
Logansport, Indiana, September 1897

The History of Logansport, Indiana
An Honors Thesis by Angela M. Jones, Dr. Joan Schreiber. Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, December, 1995.

Adam Boos of Chicago, Illinois was a renowned architect, designing and building various celebrated churches and religious buildings in the late 19th to early 20th century. His crowning achievement is the St. Alphonsus Catholic Church located in the Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The church was designed by Boos and dedicated on October 3, 1897 See less