NEWEST ACQUISITIONS TO THE COLLECTION

Slab Top Table
	This circa 1775 mahogany slab top table pays homage to the influence of joiner/carpenter William Buckland and master carver William Bernard Sears on the design and execution of Gunston Hall. These two influential minds produced furniture to be placed in at least one room in the mansion. Though only a chair fragment remains, enough can be gleaned from this piece as well as two tables to appreciate theeir architecturally derived furniture.
Knife Boxes
	The English knifeboxes date to circa 1790 and their tiered size relates to their usage as storage for both a dinner and a dessert service. Since the Mason family had both dinner and dessert silver (likely English silversmith, John Horsley, c1761), it was important for Gunston Hall to acquire knife boxes to reiterate this primary evidence of the family’s life.
Miniature of George Francis Thornton
	A local miniaturist likely produced this portrait of George Francis Thornton (1790-1824), who was one of George Mason's fifty-nine grandchildren. After graduating from William and Mary, Thornton moved back to Alexandria. He never married and had no children and the piece descended through the Bronaugh family. Thornton's miniature represents the legacy of the Mason family through subsequent generations. Gift of Anita Thomas Smith

Slab Top Table