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Vintage black Ethan Allen Hitchcock-style maple bookcase w/ floral stencils, 51.
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Ethan Allen Heirloom Collection Hitchcock-Style Maple Bookcase in Black with Gilt Stenciling, Circa 1960s–1970s
Dimensions: Height 51.5 inches x Width 32 inches x Depth 11 inches
This is a genuinely charming and historically evocative piece — a four-shelf open bookcase in solid maple, finished in the glossy black of the Hitchcock tradition and decorated with the floral stencil motifs that made that tradition one of the most beloved in American furniture history. The shaped gallery top with its gentle scalloped profile, the natural maple back panels contrasting warmly against the black painted case, the gold and polychrome floral bouquet stencils on each side panel — this bookcase wears its Early American Revival credentials beautifully. It is recognizably an Ethan Allen Heirloom piece, combining the company's commitment to solid maple construction with the decorative vocabulary that made their Hitchcock-style collection so popular through the 1960s and 1970s.
The Hitchcock tradition itself is a genuinely significant chapter in American furniture history. Lambert Hitchcock's chairs — usually made of black or dark green-painted maple, beech, and birch — were highly embellished with painted gold highlights applied using a stenciling process rather than by hand, producing a lustrous, ornate-looking piece that was deceptively inexpensive. During the second quarter of the 19th century, "fancy chairs" in the Hitchcock style were all the rage for middle-class American parlors and dining rooms, emblems of social mobility, and their influence on American decorative arts persisted for well over a century. Ethan Allen's Hitchcock-style line was a direct descendent of that tradition, translating the same black-lacquered maple and gilt stencil aesthetic into a full suite of furniture that included chairs, tables, mirrors, and case pieces like this one. The close-up image of the side panel reveals a beautifully executed stenciled bouquet of flowers in a vase — gold, rust, and green on black — precisely the kind of decoration that defined the style.
At just 11 inches deep, this bookcase is purpose-built for books and display objects without eating into a room's floor space, making it a practical choice for hallways, living rooms, or bedrooms where depth is at a premium.
Style: Hitchcock Style; American Colonial Revival; Early American; Federal Revival
Maker: Ethan Allen / Baumritter Corporation, Beecher Falls, Vermont
Materials: Solid maple; black lacquer paint finish; gold and polychrome stencil decoration
Price Note: Ethan Allen Hitchcock-style pieces are actively collected, and black-lacquered stenciled case pieces are among the more sought-after items in that category — more distinctive than a plain maple dresser and more functional than a chair. At $281.40, this is a fair price for a well-decorated, well-made American piece with real design heritage behind it.
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Item Number: 4828-2
Item ID: 292418
Category: BOOKCASES/SHELVING
- From: 3/26/26 - 4/24/26 Price: $253.26
- From: 4/25/26 - 5/25/26 Price: $225.12
- From: 5/26/26 - & After Price: $196.98