attributed to the Ralph family of cabinet makers, Sussex County, Delaware, 1800-1820, poplar and pine, single-case construction, two glazed doors with interior valance with pierced fylfot spandrels and polychrome decoration over two paneled doors, original cornice and feet, all with remarkable original blue, yellow, red and white paint decoration, undisturbed backboards with cut nails, 77-1/2 x 55-1/2 x 23-1/2 in., excellent condition overall with original dry painted surface, later white overcoat was removed, minor in-painting to white paint on two segments of scalloped molding, other normal surface wear and abrasions, minor repairs consistent with age and use Provenance: Kitty and Tony Ables, Hennings, Tennessee, 1995; Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Levon C. Register, Franklin Springs, Georgia Literature: William James MacIntire, "Creativity and Tradition: The Corner Cupboards of Southwestern Sussex County, 1790-1850" (unpublished, masters thesis, University of Delaware, 1989); Debra D. Waters, [Plain and Ornamental Delaware Furniture, 1740-1890,] Wilmington, Delaware, 1982; illustrated in [Early American Life,] August 1995, p. 80. The cupboard offered here is among the finest known surviving examples from early Delaware. It relates in design to other products from the Ralph family of cabinet makers, though the interior fylfot spandrels and bold original polychrome painted decoration set this example apart as truly exceptional. Accompanied by an extensive paint microscopy report from Susan L. Buck, 2008.