Bed

Lewis Buckner is among the most distinguished Black cabinetmakers from Tennessee. Born enslaved in 1856, Buckner apprenticed and trained as a cabinetmaker with white craftsperson Christian Stump after the end of the Civil War. By 1880, Buckner was working as an inedpendent cabinetmaker, joining a cadre of Black artisans in Sevier County. Buckner used his superior carving skills to create architectural features, including mantels and trim work that adorned the homes of East Tennessee.

Among Buckner’s most well-known works is this bed created for William and Rebecca Henderson in 1889. According to family recollections, Henderson hired Buckner to make an entire furniture suite for his home. The Hendersons’s furniture featured Buckner’s hallmark style, largely inspired by Charles Eastlake and the Aesthetic Movement. Buckner added his creative flair to traditional designs by adorning his furniture with carved symbols such as flowers, leaves, shells, and eggplants.