Rare and large mahogany cake board, attributed to John Conger (c. 1803/4-1869) New York, 1827-1845

Sotheby Parke-Bernet, October 24-25, 1986, lot 144

American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 120, fig. 120

Minor, old chip on extreme bottom; otherwise in very good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Nineteenth-century baking literature refers to this type of carved board as a cake print, used to impress a design into a New Year's cake.¹ The tradition of baking New Year's cakes was probably introduced by the colonial Dutch, and the cakes were served during open house on New Year's Day. One of the earliest references to such cake boards is dated 1802 and contained in the ledger of Nathaniel Dominy, a furniture and clock maker in East Hampton, Long Island, New York.² Patriotic and political themes were well established as subjects to be incised into cake boards by the eighteenth century, but the boards that survive today date largely to the first half of the nineteenth century. The very fine and elaborate gouge carving on this cake print, contained in an almond-shaped reserve, is sprinkled with stars and clusters of grapes. An American eagle holding the scales of justice is prominently placed at top center. Next to a large cornucopia, an allegorical figure of America as an Indian Princess holds a flagpole topped by a pileus, and two horses, cleverly carved with one body, prance beneath an angel holding the American shield aloft. Cake prints with such elaborate carving and of this substantial size were used exclusively by professional bakers, restaurants, and hotels. Among the earliest documented New York City bakers to commission these prints were George Wilt and William Farrow, who was active from about 1815 to 1834. The best-known carver was John Conger, whose name has become synonymous with these elaborate carved boards. One John Conger, carver, is listed in the New York City business directories in various locations in lower Manhattan from 1827 until 1832; between 1837 and 1858, he is listed as a print cutter. From 1858 until 1869, Conger is again listed as a carver. During the 1830s, there is also a listing of a John Conger, baker, but his relationship to the carver has not been determined. Conger's cake prints are sometimes stamped, providing a documented basis for attributing unmarked examples. They are distinguished by their clear and careful carving in short strokes and gouges that would impress cleanly in the baked product. Many elements were recombined from board to board to create new designs, and several feature political images. Conger's boards continued in circulation until about 1900, when the firm of James Y. Watkins bought out the stock and designs. Conger died in 1869 at the age of sixty-five and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn; his grave was unmarked until its recent rediscovery by descendants, who subsequently erected a headstone.³-S.C.H.

¹ Information in this entry based largely on William Woys Weaver, "The New Year's Cake Print: A Distinctively American Art Form," The Clarion 14, no. 4 (fall 1989): 58-63, and Louise C. Belden, "Cake Boards," The Magazine Antiques 138, no. 6 (December 1990): 1240-50.
² Belden, "Cake Boards," p. 1242, n. 2. The cake board was made for Isaac Payne.
³ Evelyn Conger Caprio (artist's great-great-granddaughter), telephone conversation with the author, June 25, 2000.