20世纪80年代末，当“ Nathan Lumbard Apl 20th 1800制造”的字样在抽屉柜上被发现时，一位不知名的工匠突然浮出水面。《精湛的手工艺》介绍了橱柜制造商内森•伦巴德（1777年至1847年）和一小群与他相关的工匠的惊人成就。这些工匠最初在马萨诸塞州的斯特布里奇（Sturbridge）村工作，他们制作了一系列物体，这些物体跻身美国联邦政府最丰富多彩和最具创造力的行列。 最近的学术研究表明，伦巴德与橱柜制造商奥利弗•怀特（Oliver Wight）有联系，前者的手艺有可能是从后者那里学来的，并从他那里了解到新古典主义。对与伦巴德，怀特和附近工匠有关的物体的仔细研究，为确定他们的作品提供了框架。三十年前伦巴底名字的发现带领本书的作者踏上了一段开创性的旅程，最终形成了这本精美的专著，这是对美国家具历史的深刻贡献。

When the inscription “Made by Nathan Lumbard Apl 20th 1800” was found in the late 1980s on a chest of drawers, the identity of an unknown craftsman suddenly surfaced. Crafting Excellence introduces the striking achievements of cabinetmaker Nathan Lumbard (1777−1847) and a small group of craftsmen associated with him. Working initially in the village of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, these artisans fashioned an array of objects that rank among the most colorful and creative of Federal America. Recent scholarship has revealed Lumbard’s connection with the cabinetmaker Oliver Wight, from whom he likely learned his trade and gained an understanding of neoclassicism. Careful study of objects linked to Lumbard, Wight, and nearby artisans has produced a framework for identifying their work. The discovery of Lumbard’s name three decades ago led the authors on a pioneering journey, culminating in this handsome volume, an insightful contribution to American furniture history.