THE IMPORTANT COLONEL GUY W. WALKER QUEEN ANNE CARVED AND FIGURED MAHOGANY BONNET-TOP HIGH CHEST OF DRAWERS AND COMPANION DRESSING TABLE Circa 1760, Massachusetts

The high chest appears to retain its original oversized urn-and-flame finials, and both pieces appear to retain their cast brass hardware.

Guy W. Walker, New York
Colonel Guy W. Walker, Beverly, Massachusetts
John Walton, New York
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh B. Cox
Christie's New York, Highly Important American Furniture: The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh B. Cox, June 16, 1984, lot 435

Luke Vincent Lockwood, Colonial Furniture in America, Vol. I, New York, Charles Scribner's and Son, 1913, p. 96, fig. 93
John Walton advertisement, The Magazine Antiques, June 1954, p. 428

Dressing table: underside of proper left small drawer inscribed MUROR in chalk, drawer bottom of fan-carved drawer cracked and reglued, baseboard cracked and filler strip added, drawer bottom of long drawer cracked and filler strip added, 1 knot hole plugged, other knot hole unfilled, glue blocks on top edge of backboard lacking, remnants of glue blocks on underside of top and case sides present but blocks lacking, proper right rear knee return replaced, proper left front knee return replaced, proper right drop appears original, proper left drop replaced, top reset, appears to retain original hardware High chest: appears to retain original three-part finials, appears to retain original harwdare, drawer bottoms cracked and reglued and some patched with filler strips, finial drops replaced, proper right front and rear side knee returns replaced, proper left rear knee return replaced, 2 x 3 1/3-in. rectangular patch to proper left side of case at junction with waist molding, 9 1/2 x 1-in. triangular patch at proper left rear corner of case, 17 x 1-in. triangular patch at proper right rear corner of upper case, 8-in. filler strip added to proper right case side for shrinkage, same to proper left side. Secondary wood white pine
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

High chests of drawers and companion dressing tables from the Queen Anne period in America are exceedingly rare.  Retaining their original cast brass hardware and an old finish, this high chest and dressing table are premium examples of colonial Massachusetts cabinetmaking.  Their design follows a classic North Shore case piece pattern characterized by ring-turned urn and flame finials, a flattened-arch skirt with a shell-carved and blocked central drawer flanked by double-ogee skirt pendants, an upper case of the high chest with a corresponding shell drawer, cabriole legs, and turned pad feet. This high chest offers the pronounced variation of large disks below the flame of the finials, which accentuate shape of the bonnet and reinforces the upward focus of the design.  The high chest displays drawers that flank the top shell drawer and conform to the shaping of the scroll cornice.

Very few high chests and matching dressing tables of a related design are known. One pair at Winterthur made by Benjamin Frothingham of Charlestown, Massachusetts appears illustrated in Nancy E. Richards and Nancy Goyne Evans, New England Furniture at Winterthur, (Winterthur: Winterthur Museum, 1997), nos. 162-3, pp. 313-8.  A second matched pair formerly in the collection of Henry Hoffman of Rhode Island retaining original brass hardware is illustrated in Israel Sack Inc., American Antiques from Israel Sack Collection, Volume II (1968): 466, P1147. A third matched pair, which descended from the Gilbert Family of Salem, Massachusetts, was sold at Sotheby's New York, Important Americana from the Collection of Diane and Norman Bernstein, The Lindens, Washington D.C, January 22, 2006 sale 8160, lot 48.