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<b>John Townsend's Chippendale High Chest</b><br>Undiscovered for 256 years, this high chest of drawers, made by the acclaimed American craftsman John Townsend in 1756, is one of greatest masterpieces of American furniture. It was commissioned for a Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Arnold and has passed through his family until now. It is the earliest known piece by John Townsend and one of only six known pieces signed by him. Remarkably, it is amazingly preserved and still retains its original hardware, finial and ever important finish. Profusely inscribed and signed seven times, it is very possible that this high chest was John Townsend's first major commission and/or his 'Master Thesis.' Sotheby's Erik Gronning looks at four elements that make this chest an American masterpiece.<br><br>THE EXCEPTIONAL ARNOLD-WICKS FAMILY CHIPPENDALE SHELL-CARVED AND FIGURED MAHOGANY HIGH CHEST OF DRAWERS WITH OPEN TALONS<br>Made by John Townsend, Newport, Rhode Island, dated 1756<br>ESTIMATE $2,000,000-3,000,000 <b>Hand-carved finial</b><br>This finial, with its softly carved flame and filleted fluted cup provides wonderful symmetry with the pendant shell in the skirt. Amazingly it is the only surviving finial of its type from Townsend's known work. <b>Original Inscriptions</b><br>The high chest is boldly inscribed on a drawer bottom, Made By John Townsend Newport 1756. It is also inscribed with the names of three of the sons of the most influential families in Rhode Island, and contains a prank verse, making it not only the most highly inscribed piece of Rhode Island furniture but most certainly any piece of 18th century American furniture. <b>Hand-carved mahogany shell</b><br>The remarkable shell is crafted by laminating a tiger-striped mahogany plank to the skirt board. Townsend then carved through the laminate and into the skirt board, giving the shell a wonderful sense movement. This complexity of craftsmanship is only found on one other Townsend high chest, which is not as detailed as this one. <b>Open-Talon Ball-and-Claw Feet</b><br>Typically, Newport high chests have only front ball-and-claw feet. This one not only has four carved ball-and-claw feet but each talon is carved to be open, meaning there is space between the nail and the ball. They are incredibly fragile and most Rhode Island pieces have had a number of talons replaced over the years. This high chest has only lost one talon in 256 years.