Lot 296: A RED-, YELLOW- AND GREEN-PAINTED PINE HANGING CUPBOARD, ATTRIBUTED TO JOHANNES BRAUN OR SAMUEL SWINEHART, MAHANTONGO VALLEY, PENNSYLVANIA CIRCA 1825

upper two inches of right drawer and hinges of a laterdate. Few Mahantongo Valley hanging cupboards are known. Thisone is unique for its painted decoration, which combinescharacteristics associated with the two distinct groupsof Mahantongo Valley furniture identified by Henry Reedin Decorated Furniture of the Mahantongo Valley,1987, p. 9. The grain painting on the sides of thecupboard is similar to that featured on chests in "Group1," while vibrant colors and hand stamped rosettes aremore common to the second group of furniture identifiedas "Group 2." Painted decoration comprised of similarcolors and motifs is found on a corner cupboardillustrated in Reed, p. 33 as the only known cornercupboard from the Mahantongo Valley.The hanging cupboard is signed on the right side ofthe left drawer by Samuel Swinehard, a possible maker orearly owner. Samuel (1823-1875) was born in 1823 to Johnand Margaret Swinehard, pioneer settlers of LittleMahanoy Township, just north of the Mahanoy Gap in LineMountain. He later served in the Civil War and diedunmarried in 1875. Two other member of the Swinehardfamily, Andrew and John, have been identified as possiblefurniture makers from the Schwaben Creek Valley (Reed, p.18).Johannes Braun is another possible canidate for themaker of the hanging cupboard. Born in 1808 to Michael(1772-1851) and his wife Catharina, Johannes went on tojoin his father in the cabinet making and carpentrybusiness. The Northumberland County BiographicalAnnals records: "John Brown, son of Michael...livedon the place now occupied by his son John F. Brown. hewas not only a farmer, but a carpenter and weaver aswell, doing house and shop carpentry, making considerablefurniture and in his earlier years many coffins, and hewove all sorts of woolen wear and carpets" (Reed, p.40). Several pieces of furniture are attributed to theBraun workshop, including Rebecca Braun's cupboard (seeReed, fig. 19, p. 35), Peter Braun's chest (see Re