Artist/Maker

Petersen, Karsten

Place Made

Date Made

1840-1850

Medium

walnut

Dimensions

LOA 92; WOA 24; HOA 22 1/2

Accession Number

B-463

Description

Coffin bier with two turned horizontal rails, each with knob ends and upholstered pads attached to bottom of end section of each rail and the middle of each rail; four slats run between the rails; the whole upon four cup turned legs with small round disk-shaped feet.

History

This bier was used for carrying a coffin from the church to the grave. This one is said to be child size and may have been used in Home church until 1939 when it was donated to the WHS.

Artist Biography

ARTIST BIO: Karsten Petersen was born in Wichkrug by Flensburg, Schelswig-Holstein, Prussia on April 21, 1776. Although little is known of his background or training, evidence suggests that he may have lived in Denmark for several years. In 1806, he immigrated to Salem from Gnadau via Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. After a brief period in Salem during which Petersen worked in the Single Brothers’ joiner shop and studied English, he and Johann Christian Burkhardt traveled to Georgia to work as craftsmen among the Creek Indians on the Flint River. Petersen and Burkhardt returned to Salem in 1813 and Petersen set up first a turner shop and later a cabinetmaking shop on what had formerly been the Brother’ slaughter house lot. In 1816, Petersen married Suzanna Praezel. They had five children. Their two sons, William and Edward trained in their father’s shop and took the shop over when Petersen died in 1858.

Credit Line

Wachovia Historical Society Collection