'JOHN CONGER'
...A SUPERIOR Carved
Cake Board

A Distinctly American
Art Form! 

Probably New York City, ca.1825-1835, of the finest one-board, very dense, mahogany. Masterfully carved in remarkable detail--used to impress the carving into dough, often gingerbread-to create a dazzling pastry.

Cake boards (aka prints), cookie boards, and pastry wheels by Conger were made for professional bakers, well-to-do households, restaurants/hotels, and US Government officials for important events, especially for New Years Day celebrations.

One of Conger’s finest, this cake board features a man and women within a carved oval looking inward toward many elements that communicate positive emotions such as hospitality, prosperity, love, and abundance. (A similarly attired man on a Conger board at Colonial Williamsburg depicts John Quincy Adams in 1825). Features include the Federal urn, wheat, love birds, roses, cornucopia, strawberries, acorns, thistle, sunflower, and pineapple, each having symbolic significance. Look closely for the extra-ordinary details, such as the decoration down the man’s pant leg, or the lady’s hair and dress.

Impressed “J. CONGER” several times on the ends. Since many of his boards were unsigned, this example carries particular importance. Works by Conger are highly prized and represented in major collections, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Old Sturbridge Village, New York Historical Society, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and Winterthur. You may now have this special piece in your collection.

For reference, see The Magazine Antiques, December,1990, "Cake Boards" by Louise Belden; The Clarion, The New Year's Cake Print, A Distinctly American Art Form, fall, 1989; 300 years of Kitchen Collectables, Franklin, "Catching John Conger”.

Condition is superb. Original surface. Measuring an impressive 26 inches x 15 x 1, this large-format cake board is a rarity and stands as a significant example of American folk art. From a highly selective Connecticut collection.