Colonial Furniture
including colonial style after the Independence
not including Old clocks
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Furniture Chairs and seats
Chronology : 1770-1779 1792
not including Old clocks
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Furniture Chairs and seats
Chronology : 1770-1779 1792
Special Report
pre-1730 American colonial furniture
A valuables cabinet dated 1677, attributed to Symonds in Salem, was sold for $ 1.64M from a lower estimate of $ 600K by Sotheby's on January 23, 2026, lot 130. The video is shared by the auction house. That small piece of furniture is also referred as a Bible box.
The Symonds shops in Salem, Massachusetts, operated by joiner John Symonds (ca. 1595–1671) and his sons James (1633–1714) and Samuel (1638–1722), produced a distinctive group of mannerist furniture from the 1670s into the early 1700s, including valuables cabinets, chests, cupboards, and tables. These pieces are characterized by joined construction using primary woods like red oak and black walnut for structure, with accents in soft maple, eastern red cedar, white pine, and occasionally ebonized elements for color contrast. Decorations emphasize applied geometric moldings, architectural appliqués (such as corbels, half-columns, and dentil moldings), interlacing S-scrolls, sunbursts, and strapwork, creating a miniature facade effect. The four known valuables cabinets (all dated 1676–1679 and initialed for married couples) are compact (typically 16–17 inches high, 17 inches wide, 9–10 inches deep), with hinged lids or doors revealing interior drawers for storing documents, spices, or small valuables. They represent luxury items for middle- to upper-class rural families, often commemorating marriages, and reflect provincial adaptations of British styles in colonial New England.
Comparison to Other Symonds Shop Pieces
Within the Symonds oeuvre, the valuables cabinets are among the most ornate and compact forms, but they share techniques and motifs with larger pieces like chests and cupboards. For instance, three attributed chests (e.g., one at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, ca. 1675–1700, made of oak with pine) feature similar single-drawer designs and applied geometric ornament, but they are bulkier and more utilitarian, aimed at storage rather than display. A cupboard at the Peabody Essex Museum echoes the cabinets' mannerist S-scrolls and moldings but on a grander scale. Overall, the cabinets are rarer and more refined, with only four extant examples compared to broader survival of chests, highlighting their status as bespoke commemorative objects tied to patronage networks of family, Quaker affiliations, and regional origins.
Comparison to Ipswich School (Thomas Dennis and William Searle)
The Symonds cabinets rival the high-quality work of contemporary Essex County joiners like Thomas Dennis (1638–1706) and William Searle (ca. 1634–1667) in Ipswich, about 15 miles north of Salem, but differ in style and influences. Dennis's furniture, such as carved oak chests and armchairs (e.g., a fantastical armchair at the Peabody Essex Museum with human figures), features elaborate floral carvings, S-scrolls, and strapwork inspired by Devonshire traditions from Exeter, England, where Dennis trained. These are often more deeply incised and organic in motif, contrasting with Symonds' geometric, applied architectural elements derived from Norfolk/Great Yarmouth prototypes. Early scholarship misattributed some Symonds pieces to Dennis due to shared mannerist traits, but reattributions emphasize Salem's economic dominance and rural patronage versus Ipswich's focus on bold, florid carving for similar middle-class clients. Symonds pieces tend to use more varied woods for color effects, while Dennis favored oak with painted or ebonized accents; both schools produced luxury items, but Symonds cabinets are more compact and facade-like, while Dennis's are often larger case pieces or seating. Comparison to Boston Furniture
Boston joiners, working in a more urban and cosmopolitan hub, produced furniture that was generally more sophisticated and forward-looking than Symonds' provincial output. From the 1630s, Boston shops crafted multi-drawer chests of drawers (e.g., examples at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), reflecting English urban fashions with turned legs, ball feet, and sometimes painted decoration, catering to elite merchants. In contrast, Symonds cabinets and chests stuck to simpler joined forms with applied ornament, suited to rural Essex County patrons who preferred single-drawer or tabletop pieces symbolizing status without the complexity of Boston's evolving William and Mary styles by the late 1600s. Symonds work bridges Puritan austerity and emerging decoration, but lacks Boston's scale and innovation, such as dovetailed construction or imported hardware.
Comparison to English Prototypes
Symonds cabinets directly adapt mannerist styles from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, where John Symonds originated, featuring geometric moldings and S-scrolls akin to architectural paneling (e.g., in the Star Hotel). This contrasts with floral, strapwork-heavy influences from Devon/Exeter seen in Dennis's work. English prototypes were often larger and integrated into interiors, while colonial versions are miniaturized and portable, using local woods like red oak instead of English oak. The Symonds style represents a conservative transfer of regional British traditions, less evolved than contemporary London pieces with baroque elements.
Comparison to Other Regional or Later Examples
In broader colonial contexts, Symonds cabinets differ from Connecticut Valley pieces like Hadley chests (ca. 1680–1730), which feature shallow tulip carvings on flat panels, emphasizing folk motifs over architectural appliqués. Later Pennsylvania spice boxes (18th century, e.g., wall-mounted walnut examples with multiple drawers) echo the Symonds form in function but are more refined, with inlaid designs and dovetails, reflecting Germanic influences and urban craftsmanship versus Symonds' earlier, cruder joinery. Overall, Symonds work marks an early high point in New England mannerism, influential in Essex County but distinct from the plainer or more organic styles elsewhere, underscoring regional variations in colonial furniture evolution.
The Symonds shops in Salem, Massachusetts, operated by joiner John Symonds (ca. 1595–1671) and his sons James (1633–1714) and Samuel (1638–1722), produced a distinctive group of mannerist furniture from the 1670s into the early 1700s, including valuables cabinets, chests, cupboards, and tables. These pieces are characterized by joined construction using primary woods like red oak and black walnut for structure, with accents in soft maple, eastern red cedar, white pine, and occasionally ebonized elements for color contrast. Decorations emphasize applied geometric moldings, architectural appliqués (such as corbels, half-columns, and dentil moldings), interlacing S-scrolls, sunbursts, and strapwork, creating a miniature facade effect. The four known valuables cabinets (all dated 1676–1679 and initialed for married couples) are compact (typically 16–17 inches high, 17 inches wide, 9–10 inches deep), with hinged lids or doors revealing interior drawers for storing documents, spices, or small valuables. They represent luxury items for middle- to upper-class rural families, often commemorating marriages, and reflect provincial adaptations of British styles in colonial New England.
Comparison to Other Symonds Shop Pieces
Within the Symonds oeuvre, the valuables cabinets are among the most ornate and compact forms, but they share techniques and motifs with larger pieces like chests and cupboards. For instance, three attributed chests (e.g., one at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, ca. 1675–1700, made of oak with pine) feature similar single-drawer designs and applied geometric ornament, but they are bulkier and more utilitarian, aimed at storage rather than display. A cupboard at the Peabody Essex Museum echoes the cabinets' mannerist S-scrolls and moldings but on a grander scale. Overall, the cabinets are rarer and more refined, with only four extant examples compared to broader survival of chests, highlighting their status as bespoke commemorative objects tied to patronage networks of family, Quaker affiliations, and regional origins.
Comparison to Ipswich School (Thomas Dennis and William Searle)
The Symonds cabinets rival the high-quality work of contemporary Essex County joiners like Thomas Dennis (1638–1706) and William Searle (ca. 1634–1667) in Ipswich, about 15 miles north of Salem, but differ in style and influences. Dennis's furniture, such as carved oak chests and armchairs (e.g., a fantastical armchair at the Peabody Essex Museum with human figures), features elaborate floral carvings, S-scrolls, and strapwork inspired by Devonshire traditions from Exeter, England, where Dennis trained. These are often more deeply incised and organic in motif, contrasting with Symonds' geometric, applied architectural elements derived from Norfolk/Great Yarmouth prototypes. Early scholarship misattributed some Symonds pieces to Dennis due to shared mannerist traits, but reattributions emphasize Salem's economic dominance and rural patronage versus Ipswich's focus on bold, florid carving for similar middle-class clients. Symonds pieces tend to use more varied woods for color effects, while Dennis favored oak with painted or ebonized accents; both schools produced luxury items, but Symonds cabinets are more compact and facade-like, while Dennis's are often larger case pieces or seating. Comparison to Boston Furniture
Boston joiners, working in a more urban and cosmopolitan hub, produced furniture that was generally more sophisticated and forward-looking than Symonds' provincial output. From the 1630s, Boston shops crafted multi-drawer chests of drawers (e.g., examples at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), reflecting English urban fashions with turned legs, ball feet, and sometimes painted decoration, catering to elite merchants. In contrast, Symonds cabinets and chests stuck to simpler joined forms with applied ornament, suited to rural Essex County patrons who preferred single-drawer or tabletop pieces symbolizing status without the complexity of Boston's evolving William and Mary styles by the late 1600s. Symonds work bridges Puritan austerity and emerging decoration, but lacks Boston's scale and innovation, such as dovetailed construction or imported hardware.
Comparison to English Prototypes
Symonds cabinets directly adapt mannerist styles from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, where John Symonds originated, featuring geometric moldings and S-scrolls akin to architectural paneling (e.g., in the Star Hotel). This contrasts with floral, strapwork-heavy influences from Devon/Exeter seen in Dennis's work. English prototypes were often larger and integrated into interiors, while colonial versions are miniaturized and portable, using local woods like red oak instead of English oak. The Symonds style represents a conservative transfer of regional British traditions, less evolved than contemporary London pieces with baroque elements.
Comparison to Other Regional or Later Examples
In broader colonial contexts, Symonds cabinets differ from Connecticut Valley pieces like Hadley chests (ca. 1680–1730), which feature shallow tulip carvings on flat panels, emphasizing folk motifs over architectural appliqués. Later Pennsylvania spice boxes (18th century, e.g., wall-mounted walnut examples with multiple drawers) echo the Symonds form in function but are more refined, with inlaid designs and dovetails, reflecting Germanic influences and urban craftsmanship versus Symonds' earlier, cruder joinery. Overall, Symonds work marks an early high point in New England mannerism, influential in Essex County but distinct from the plainer or more organic styles elsewhere, underscoring regional variations in colonial furniture evolution.
1729 Chest of Drawers by Crosman
2006 SOLD for $ 2.9M by Christie's
Examples of high prices at auction for pre 1730 American furniture, including the Hadley chest of drawers sold by Christie's on January 22, 2016, lot 56. Include execution dates, places and joiners, and auction attributes : auction house, date, final price including premium.
High Auction Prices for Pre-1730 American Furniture
Below is a selection of notable high-price auction sales for American furniture made before 1730, focusing on documented examples that achieved over $1 million (part of the informal "million-dollar club" for American furniture). These pieces represent rare survivals from the Pilgrim Century (ca. 1620–1720) and early William and Mary styles, often tied to specific regional joinery traditions in New England. The list includes the Hadley chest of drawers (Christie's, January 22, 2016, lot 56) and other comparable records for context. Prices are final totals including buyer's premium. Data is drawn from auction records and reports; pre-1730 American furniture rarely exceeds a handful of seven-figure sales due to scarcity and market dynamics.
Piece Description, Execution Date, Place of Origin, Joiner/Maker, Auction House, Sale Date, Lot Number, Final Price (incl. Premium)
1
Carved and applied oak valuables cabinet, initialed "I P B" for Joseph and Bathsheba Pope, with sunburst and spindle decoration, interior drawers
1679 Salem, Massachusetts, Attributed to James Symonds (1633–1714)
Christie's, New York, January 21, 2000, lot 111, $2,422,500
2
Diminutive paint-decorated pine chest of drawers, signed with foliage, birds, and geometric motifs in original paint
1729 Taunton, Massachusetts, Robert Crosman (1707–1799)
Christie's, New York (Mrs. J. Insley Blair collection sale) January 21, 2006, lot 519, $2,928,000 from a lower estimate of $ 500K
3
Joined oak and pine polychrome "Hadley" chest-with-drawers, with original painted motifs including vines, lozenges, stars, and florals
Circa 1715, Hadley area (Upper Connecticut River Valley), Massachusetts, Unknown (aligned with Hadley joinery tradition; possibly linked to Barnard or Williams families)
Christie's, New York, January 22, 2016, lot 56, $1,025,000
These represent the top documented auction records for pre-1730 pieces, with the Taunton chest holding the overall high for painted American furniture of the period, and the Pope cabinet as the pinnacle for Pilgrim Century joinery. Other early examples, such as additional Symonds-attributed valuables cabinets or Hadley chests, have sold for lower figures (typically under $500,000) or remain in institutional collections without recent auction history.
Style, detail and technique of the Taunton cabinet referred above.
The Taunton chest of drawers, a diminutive paint-decorated pine piece dated 1729 and signed by Robert Crosman (1707–1799) of Taunton, Massachusetts, exemplifies early American William and Mary style in a compact, provincial form. This style, transitional between Pilgrim Century austerity and emerging Queen Anne elegance, emphasizes simple rectilinear shapes with bold, folk-inspired ornamentation, often drawing from English textile motifs like crewelwork bed hangings. As one of about 22 surviving examples attributed to Crosman—a drum maker, joiner, and later innkeeper from a woodworking family—these chests were likely created as special commissions, possibly as dowry pieces or "masterpieces" during his apprenticeship (ca. 1729–1742), symbolizing fertility, prosperity, and new family beginnings through their symbolic motifs. This particular chest, from the Mrs. J. Insley Blair collection, stands out for its vibrant, intact paintwork and rarity as a multi-drawer form, contrasting with more common single-drawer or chest-over-drawer variants in the group.
In terms of details, the chest measures 22¾ inches high, 22⅜ inches wide, and 12½ inches deep, making it notably small and portable compared to full-scale period furniture. Its facade features a lively, continuous composition of overlapping vines, flowers, and baby chicks, organized around compass-drawn scrolls that meander across the drawers; from these scrolls extend curled branches adorned with leaves, berries, and floral elements, covering most surfaces in a tree-of-life motif that evokes growth and abundance. The decoration uses red, white, green, and traces of blue (azurite pigment that has oxidized to black), applied over a reddish background wash of red lead and iron oxides. The sides are more restrained, each centered by a full-grown bird in flight, while the front includes original brass hardware with circular and crescent-shaped gouges on the escutcheons. One upper drawer bears the date "1729" on its front, with the reverse displaying a painted reserve inscribed "TaunTon, R, C: 1729," confirming Crosman's authorship. Unlike other Taunton chests with bootjack feet, this example has turned feet (one rear foot replaced), and the motifs—such as birds and florals—resemble printed cotton textiles or embroidered patterns, with varying complexity across the group from simple single trees to elaborate, intertwined designs. Techniques reflect Crosman's straightforward, vernacular craftsmanship, using primary white pine (with some white cedar in related pieces) for a plank-based construction that prioritizes functionality over refinement. Drawers employ dovetailed joints, with bottom boards oriented front-to-back, fitted into a front groove and nailed to the back underside; each drawer bottom is secured to the sides with a single wooden pin, and interior case and exterior drawer sides bear penciled Roman numerals for assembly guidance. The painted decoration, a hallmark of the Taunton group, involves compass-drawn arcs for vines, templates for repeating elements like tulips and birds, and layered pigments (vermilion for red, lead white, verdigris for green, azurite for blue) bound in a protein-oil or natural resin medium, with a later resin coating and wax residues noted in analysis. Modern touch-ups use zinc white and lithopone on moldings, but the original scheme remains largely intact, highlighting Crosman's expressive, folk-art approach that integrates symbolic iconography with practical joinery.
High Auction Prices for Pre-1730 American Furniture
Below is a selection of notable high-price auction sales for American furniture made before 1730, focusing on documented examples that achieved over $1 million (part of the informal "million-dollar club" for American furniture). These pieces represent rare survivals from the Pilgrim Century (ca. 1620–1720) and early William and Mary styles, often tied to specific regional joinery traditions in New England. The list includes the Hadley chest of drawers (Christie's, January 22, 2016, lot 56) and other comparable records for context. Prices are final totals including buyer's premium. Data is drawn from auction records and reports; pre-1730 American furniture rarely exceeds a handful of seven-figure sales due to scarcity and market dynamics.
Piece Description, Execution Date, Place of Origin, Joiner/Maker, Auction House, Sale Date, Lot Number, Final Price (incl. Premium)
1
Carved and applied oak valuables cabinet, initialed "I P B" for Joseph and Bathsheba Pope, with sunburst and spindle decoration, interior drawers
1679 Salem, Massachusetts, Attributed to James Symonds (1633–1714)
Christie's, New York, January 21, 2000, lot 111, $2,422,500
2
Diminutive paint-decorated pine chest of drawers, signed with foliage, birds, and geometric motifs in original paint
1729 Taunton, Massachusetts, Robert Crosman (1707–1799)
Christie's, New York (Mrs. J. Insley Blair collection sale) January 21, 2006, lot 519, $2,928,000 from a lower estimate of $ 500K
3
Joined oak and pine polychrome "Hadley" chest-with-drawers, with original painted motifs including vines, lozenges, stars, and florals
Circa 1715, Hadley area (Upper Connecticut River Valley), Massachusetts, Unknown (aligned with Hadley joinery tradition; possibly linked to Barnard or Williams families)
Christie's, New York, January 22, 2016, lot 56, $1,025,000
These represent the top documented auction records for pre-1730 pieces, with the Taunton chest holding the overall high for painted American furniture of the period, and the Pope cabinet as the pinnacle for Pilgrim Century joinery. Other early examples, such as additional Symonds-attributed valuables cabinets or Hadley chests, have sold for lower figures (typically under $500,000) or remain in institutional collections without recent auction history.
Style, detail and technique of the Taunton cabinet referred above.
The Taunton chest of drawers, a diminutive paint-decorated pine piece dated 1729 and signed by Robert Crosman (1707–1799) of Taunton, Massachusetts, exemplifies early American William and Mary style in a compact, provincial form. This style, transitional between Pilgrim Century austerity and emerging Queen Anne elegance, emphasizes simple rectilinear shapes with bold, folk-inspired ornamentation, often drawing from English textile motifs like crewelwork bed hangings. As one of about 22 surviving examples attributed to Crosman—a drum maker, joiner, and later innkeeper from a woodworking family—these chests were likely created as special commissions, possibly as dowry pieces or "masterpieces" during his apprenticeship (ca. 1729–1742), symbolizing fertility, prosperity, and new family beginnings through their symbolic motifs. This particular chest, from the Mrs. J. Insley Blair collection, stands out for its vibrant, intact paintwork and rarity as a multi-drawer form, contrasting with more common single-drawer or chest-over-drawer variants in the group.
In terms of details, the chest measures 22¾ inches high, 22⅜ inches wide, and 12½ inches deep, making it notably small and portable compared to full-scale period furniture. Its facade features a lively, continuous composition of overlapping vines, flowers, and baby chicks, organized around compass-drawn scrolls that meander across the drawers; from these scrolls extend curled branches adorned with leaves, berries, and floral elements, covering most surfaces in a tree-of-life motif that evokes growth and abundance. The decoration uses red, white, green, and traces of blue (azurite pigment that has oxidized to black), applied over a reddish background wash of red lead and iron oxides. The sides are more restrained, each centered by a full-grown bird in flight, while the front includes original brass hardware with circular and crescent-shaped gouges on the escutcheons. One upper drawer bears the date "1729" on its front, with the reverse displaying a painted reserve inscribed "TaunTon, R, C: 1729," confirming Crosman's authorship. Unlike other Taunton chests with bootjack feet, this example has turned feet (one rear foot replaced), and the motifs—such as birds and florals—resemble printed cotton textiles or embroidered patterns, with varying complexity across the group from simple single trees to elaborate, intertwined designs. Techniques reflect Crosman's straightforward, vernacular craftsmanship, using primary white pine (with some white cedar in related pieces) for a plank-based construction that prioritizes functionality over refinement. Drawers employ dovetailed joints, with bottom boards oriented front-to-back, fitted into a front groove and nailed to the back underside; each drawer bottom is secured to the sides with a single wooden pin, and interior case and exterior drawer sides bear penciled Roman numerals for assembly guidance. The painted decoration, a hallmark of the Taunton group, involves compass-drawn arcs for vines, templates for repeating elements like tulips and birds, and layered pigments (vermilion for red, lead white, verdigris for green, azurite for blue) bound in a protein-oil or natural resin medium, with a later resin coating and wax residues noted in analysis. Modern touch-ups use zinc white and lithopone on moldings, but the original scheme remains largely intact, highlighting Crosman's expressive, folk-art approach that integrates symbolic iconography with practical joinery.
Rhode Island
1
1745 Desk-and-Bookcase by Christopher Townsend
1999 SOLD for $ 8.3M by Sotheby's
Newport was one of the busiest ports in colonial America. It was one of the strategic points of the slave trade. They distilled rum with sugar cane from the Caribbean, then exchanged the drink for African people.
The maritime business was conducive to the delivery of mahogany, and Newport became a major center of furniture manufacturing.
Job and Christopher Townsend, members of the Quaker community of Newport RI, establish themselves as carpenters in 1723 and are also joiners. At that time Newport needs to manage its economic and religious independence from Boston. The two brothers become cabinetmakers.
They work together. The earliest reference to their new activity is a letter from Christopher in 1733 describing a desk-and-bookcase that Job had just sold. For nearly a century, this family, closely linked to the Goddard, Casey and Spencer families, will produce top quality mahogany furniture.
Attribution is difficult. Only one known piece, which is also a desk-and-bookcase, bears the label of Job Townsend. Christopher Townsend's previously unknown signature was discovered in 1998 on another desk-and-bookcase that was in France for nearly two centuries. Its traceability is perfect : it had been delivered to a minister in Cambridge MA and exported circa 1800 by his grandson in charge of a permanent diplomatic mission in France.
This piece of furniture in superb condition is typical of the best craftsmanship of American cabinetmakers of the 1740s. It was mounted in marked silver by a very young goldsmith named Samuel Casey who established his business in 1745 in Exeter RI after an apprenticeship in Boston. This is the only known American piece of furniture with solid silver handles. It was sold for $ 8.3M by Sotheby's on January 16, 1999.
The maritime business was conducive to the delivery of mahogany, and Newport became a major center of furniture manufacturing.
Job and Christopher Townsend, members of the Quaker community of Newport RI, establish themselves as carpenters in 1723 and are also joiners. At that time Newport needs to manage its economic and religious independence from Boston. The two brothers become cabinetmakers.
They work together. The earliest reference to their new activity is a letter from Christopher in 1733 describing a desk-and-bookcase that Job had just sold. For nearly a century, this family, closely linked to the Goddard, Casey and Spencer families, will produce top quality mahogany furniture.
Attribution is difficult. Only one known piece, which is also a desk-and-bookcase, bears the label of Job Townsend. Christopher Townsend's previously unknown signature was discovered in 1998 on another desk-and-bookcase that was in France for nearly two centuries. Its traceability is perfect : it had been delivered to a minister in Cambridge MA and exported circa 1800 by his grandson in charge of a permanent diplomatic mission in France.
This piece of furniture in superb condition is typical of the best craftsmanship of American cabinetmakers of the 1740s. It was mounted in marked silver by a very young goldsmith named Samuel Casey who established his business in 1745 in Exeter RI after an apprenticeship in Boston. This is the only known American piece of furniture with solid silver handles. It was sold for $ 8.3M by Sotheby's on January 16, 1999.
2
1756 Highboy by John Townsend
2012 SOLD for $ 3.6M by Sotheby's
In the ancient meaning of that word, a masterpiece (or chef d'oeuvre) is the piece with which a craftsman terminates his apprenticeship. This work demonstrates his know how and opens to him the right of creating his own workshop.
A high chest of drawers (or highboy) is signed by John Townsend, located in Newport (Rhode Island) and dated 1756. This craftsman who was to become the most renowned cabinetmaker of Newport was then 23 years old, and this piece is one of the first pieces of furniture signed by him.
It is a mahogany chest of Queen Anne style, similar to examples made in Philadelphia at the same time. Measuring 2.25 x 1.02 x 0.54 m, it has carved higher and lower rails and high claw feet enclosing balls.
It remained in its original condition and has always belonged to the same family. It was sold for $ 3.6M from a lower estimate of $ 2M by Sotheby's on January 21, 2012, lot 186.
A high chest of drawers (or highboy) is signed by John Townsend, located in Newport (Rhode Island) and dated 1756. This craftsman who was to become the most renowned cabinetmaker of Newport was then 23 years old, and this piece is one of the first pieces of furniture signed by him.
It is a mahogany chest of Queen Anne style, similar to examples made in Philadelphia at the same time. Measuring 2.25 x 1.02 x 0.54 m, it has carved higher and lower rails and high claw feet enclosing balls.
It remained in its original condition and has always belonged to the same family. It was sold for $ 3.6M from a lower estimate of $ 2M by Sotheby's on January 21, 2012, lot 186.
3
1755-1765 Cabinet by John Townsend
2012 SOLD for $ 3.45M by Christie's
Developed at Newport, the block-and-shell style is a storage cabinet inspired by the Chippendale style. The square front is divided into three sections: a central part and two stacks of square drawers, the Blocks. Each section is decorated with a carved shell in its upper part.
On January 20, 2012, Christie's sold for $ 3.45M a small cabinet 70 x 65 x 33 cm. Made in mahogany between 1755 and 1765, it is one of the earliest examples of block and shell and one of very few to have been signed by John Townsend.
On January 20, 2012, Christie's sold for $ 3.45M a small cabinet 70 x 65 x 33 cm. Made in mahogany between 1755 and 1765, it is one of the earliest examples of block and shell and one of very few to have been signed by John Townsend.
4
1763 Tea Table by John Goddard
2005 SOLD for $ 8.4M by Sotheby's
Established in Newport RI, John Goddard, who married in 1746 the daughter of Job Townsend, produces mahogany furniture with an exquisite carving. His serpentine furniture with ball and claw feet is reflecting an awareness of French taste as interpreted by English cabinetmakers.
An early mahogany slab table of Queen Anne style, signed by Goddard and documented by its 1755 bill of sale, was sold for $ 2.1M by Christie's on January 20, 2012, lot 139. The grain of the mahogany was deliberately chosen to maximize the elegance. That model is requiring marble tops that were shaped to fit the frames. This example keeps it original marble top.
Not far from Newport, in Providence RI, the four Brown brothers, working in partnership until 1771, make their fortune in the maritime trade.
Weddings are an opportunity to acquire furniture. The transactions between John Brown and John Goddard in 1760 are documented by a statement of account and a progress report.
This supply included a tea table with scalloped edges. In 1763 two other tables were documented by Goddard in similar letters, one for a close associate of the Four Browns and the other for one of their cousins. These deliveries within a closed circle of customers suggest that the model was exclusive.
In 1762 Nicholas Brown, the head of the family, is married in his turn. He orders his table. A year later the younger brother rebukes John Goddard for having managed competing priorities. The table was delivered to Nicholas in the fall of 1763. Satisfied with this acquisition, Nicholas Brown had a replica of this piece made two years later. This one is not documented but the almost perfect conformity of the copy is attributed to the entourage of John Goddard.
Both tables had been in Brown's lineage, together for three generations and then reunited again in 1970. The table provided by Goddard, in remarkable condition, was sold for $ 8.4M by Sotheby's on January 22 2005, lot 809. The replica was sold for $ 910K by Sotheby's on January 21, 2017, lot 4231.
An early mahogany slab table of Queen Anne style, signed by Goddard and documented by its 1755 bill of sale, was sold for $ 2.1M by Christie's on January 20, 2012, lot 139. The grain of the mahogany was deliberately chosen to maximize the elegance. That model is requiring marble tops that were shaped to fit the frames. This example keeps it original marble top.
Not far from Newport, in Providence RI, the four Brown brothers, working in partnership until 1771, make their fortune in the maritime trade.
Weddings are an opportunity to acquire furniture. The transactions between John Brown and John Goddard in 1760 are documented by a statement of account and a progress report.
This supply included a tea table with scalloped edges. In 1763 two other tables were documented by Goddard in similar letters, one for a close associate of the Four Browns and the other for one of their cousins. These deliveries within a closed circle of customers suggest that the model was exclusive.
In 1762 Nicholas Brown, the head of the family, is married in his turn. He orders his table. A year later the younger brother rebukes John Goddard for having managed competing priorities. The table was delivered to Nicholas in the fall of 1763. Satisfied with this acquisition, Nicholas Brown had a replica of this piece made two years later. This one is not documented but the almost perfect conformity of the copy is attributed to the entourage of John Goddard.
Both tables had been in Brown's lineage, together for three generations and then reunited again in 1970. The table provided by Goddard, in remarkable condition, was sold for $ 8.4M by Sotheby's on January 22 2005, lot 809. The replica was sold for $ 910K by Sotheby's on January 21, 2017, lot 4231.
5
1765 Bureau Table by John Goddard
2011 SOLD for $ 5.7M by Christie's
A mahogany bureau table in the Newport Chippendale block and shell style is identified by a mid 19th century pencil label in a drawer as having been made by John Goddard for his daughter Catherine. Indeed a desk-and-bookcase with very similar shell carving was attributed by Thomas Goddard to his father John and dated 1761 by him. Several construction details are also consistent with John's workmanship.
This model is also referred as kneehole bureau or desk table. This example made ca 1765 when Catherine was 8 years old is 90 cm high, 80 cm wide and 50 cm deep.
It was sold for $ 5.7M from a lower estimate of $ 700K by Christie's on January 21, 2011, lot 92.
This model is also referred as kneehole bureau or desk table. This example made ca 1765 when Catherine was 8 years old is 90 cm high, 80 cm wide and 50 cm deep.
It was sold for $ 5.7M from a lower estimate of $ 700K by Christie's on January 21, 2011, lot 92.
6
1772-1785 Desk-and-Bookcase attributed to Daniel Spencer
1989 SOLD for $ 12M by Christie's
The Block and Shell style, denoting the ornaments of the drawers, appears around 1755 in Newport RI in the furniture made by the Townsend-Goddard dynasty of cabinetmakers.
The Chippendale style succeeds the Queen Anne. John Goddard is probably the first to make the desk-and-bookcase which is an adaptation of the Block and Shell to the Chippendale. These pieces of furniture are not signed and very difficult to attribute to one or another master in that family. Nine examples in the six-shell design have survived, all of them in mahogany.
The Brown brothers were wealthy merchants and statesmen of Providence RI, involved in slave trade and smuggling. A Newport-style desk-and-bookcase that belonged to John Brown, 272 × 113 × 64 cm, is kept at Yale University. The piece that belonged to Nicholas Brown, 287 × 108 × 64 cm, is very similar. It had remained in the direct descent of its first owner and was sold for $ 12M by Christie's on June 3, 1989.
For the attribution of these two pieces of furniture, it was noticed that Daniel Spencer, a nephew of John Goddard, had left Newport and established a workshop for the making of cabinets and chairs in Providence in 1772. The terminus ante quem is his imprisonment for debt in 1785. He ended his career in Kentucky.
The Chippendale style succeeds the Queen Anne. John Goddard is probably the first to make the desk-and-bookcase which is an adaptation of the Block and Shell to the Chippendale. These pieces of furniture are not signed and very difficult to attribute to one or another master in that family. Nine examples in the six-shell design have survived, all of them in mahogany.
The Brown brothers were wealthy merchants and statesmen of Providence RI, involved in slave trade and smuggling. A Newport-style desk-and-bookcase that belonged to John Brown, 272 × 113 × 64 cm, is kept at Yale University. The piece that belonged to Nicholas Brown, 287 × 108 × 64 cm, is very similar. It had remained in the direct descent of its first owner and was sold for $ 12M by Christie's on June 3, 1989.
For the attribution of these two pieces of furniture, it was noticed that Daniel Spencer, a nephew of John Goddard, had left Newport and established a workshop for the making of cabinets and chairs in Providence in 1772. The terminus ante quem is his imprisonment for debt in 1785. He ended his career in Kentucky.
7
1792 Chest of Drawers by John Townsend
1998 SOLD for $ 4.7M by Christies
A mahogany chest with four drawers in Chippendale block and shell style is attributed by a printed label to John Townsend, Newport, with a handwritten inscription to Sarah Slocum dated to 1792. The date comes just after the death of Sarah's father, a quaker fellow of Townsend and a long time resident in Newport, and her marriage at the age of 21.
It was sold for $ 4.7M from a lower estimate of $ 1.5M by Christie's on June 18, 1998, lot 151. It is 86 cm high, 91 cm wide and 48 cm deep..
It was sold for $ 4.7M from a lower estimate of $ 1.5M by Christie's on June 18, 1998, lot 151. It is 86 cm high, 91 cm wide and 48 cm deep..
Philadelphia
1
1750 Footstool
2008 SOLD for $ 5.2M by Sotheby's
The Queen Anne style brought to England lighter pieces of furniture, skilfully carved in richly toned woods. From the 1730s the high classes in Boston and Philadelphia enjoy this highly elegant style. Tables and seats display signature S-shaped outward turned legs.
A footstool 40 cm high made ca 1750 in Philadelphia was sold for $ 5.2M from a lower estimate of $ 200K by Sotheby's on September 26, 2008, lot 117. Made in walnut, it displays a dark rich possibly original surface and has been reupholstered in a period correct fabric.
It has all the Queen Anne features including the paneled foot pads. The serpentine shape of the seat rail is unique of its kind in colonial and world furniture.
A footstool 40 cm high made ca 1750 in Philadelphia was sold for $ 5.2M from a lower estimate of $ 200K by Sotheby's on September 26, 2008, lot 117. Made in walnut, it displays a dark rich possibly original surface and has been reupholstered in a period correct fabric.
It has all the Queen Anne features including the paneled foot pads. The serpentine shape of the seat rail is unique of its kind in colonial and world furniture.
2
1760 Tea Table
2007 SOLD for $ 6.8M by Christie's
The second half of the eighteenth century saw a rapid economic growth in Boston and Philadelphia. Politically Philadelphia, thanks to its central position inside the colonies, will play the major role at the time of independence.
The higher bourgeoisie of Philadelphia welcomed the mahogany furniture in Chippendale style. Curiously, the best cabinet makers have not been identified and their achievements have been grouped under later coined pseudonyms.
The tea table with tilt top and scalloped edge is one of the most stunning models from Philadelphia's colonial furniture. Their carving is abundant and extremely careful.
The appearance of an unpublished piece of furniture in perfect condition in direct line from Philadelphia's notable families is an important event, especially when these pieces have been normally maintained without being retouched.
This is the case of the tea table from Fisher-Fox provenance carved by "Garver" around 1760. It was sold for $ 6.8M from a lower estimate of $ 2M by Christie's on October 3, 2007, lot 94.
On January 31, 2015, Keno sold for $ 1.9M the Potter-Crouch-Jordan specimen executed at the same period by "Spike", in a similar conservation status, and which is also a new discovery. Both pieces are very similar, and it is quite possible that these anonymous Spike and Garver were sharing the same shop.
The higher bourgeoisie of Philadelphia welcomed the mahogany furniture in Chippendale style. Curiously, the best cabinet makers have not been identified and their achievements have been grouped under later coined pseudonyms.
The tea table with tilt top and scalloped edge is one of the most stunning models from Philadelphia's colonial furniture. Their carving is abundant and extremely careful.
The appearance of an unpublished piece of furniture in perfect condition in direct line from Philadelphia's notable families is an important event, especially when these pieces have been normally maintained without being retouched.
This is the case of the tea table from Fisher-Fox provenance carved by "Garver" around 1760. It was sold for $ 6.8M from a lower estimate of $ 2M by Christie's on October 3, 2007, lot 94.
On January 31, 2015, Keno sold for $ 1.9M the Potter-Crouch-Jordan specimen executed at the same period by "Spike", in a similar conservation status, and which is also a new discovery. Both pieces are very similar, and it is quite possible that these anonymous Spike and Garver were sharing the same shop.
