Jan and John Maggs Antiques

The Cradle Conundrum

What piece of country furniture conjures up visions of Colonial domestic life more effectively than a painted cradle? We imagine the family at rest, the mother rocking an infant gently in a beautiful piece of painted furniture while all are discussing the day's events among themselves.

Yet, with all of their appeal, cradles are among the slowest selling articles in the country antiques dealer's inventory. The following tale, advice to the fledgling dealer, sums up this irony.

When you open your first antiques shop, be sure that, among your chairs, painted chests, tables, baskets, and other country pieces, you have one of each of the following essentials: a spinning wheel, and a cradle. Years later, when you decide to retire, have a going-out-of-business sale, pricing everything below cost to be sure of emptying your shop. When your sale ends, you should be left with only two objects: the spinning wheel and the cradle.

This story, however oversimplified, does contain an element of truth. Cradles and spinning wheels, symbols of domesticity in earlier times, are very slow to sell in modern times. Is this because our 21st century way of life doesn't allow us sufficient time for reflection, or is it simply that our concern for utility rules out fantasy in our choice of home furnishings?

Not so in our home. The hooded cradle pictured above fills a space at one end of our keeping room, occasionally serving as a napping place for Toby, the family feline (though, only when it's his idea). Over the years customers have bought cradles from us for various reasons: to display dolls, as "official" pet sleeping quarters, and even for magazine storage. Nonetheless, we're reluctant to invest in any but the very best, because they often stay with us for a while.

I'm reminded of a comment made by a dealer friend when, several years ago, we brought an outstanding hooded cradle in perfect period blue paint to the Tolland show. "Wow," he said, as he trotted over to our booth. "What fabulous paint." Then, after a pregnant pause, he continued, "Too bad it's a cradle."

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