A Queen Anne Carved Cherrywood Dressing Table, Housatonic Valley, probably Newtown, Connecticut

appears to retain its original hardware.

Poplar secondary wood; three 1/4 in. by 2 in. mortice holes patched on each proper right and left leg square and was likely a cabinetmakers error; drops restored; refinished, old dark color
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.

With its shaped skirt with flathead arches, distinctive C-scrolls on the knees, and wide-lobed shell, this dressing table follows the classic design of dressing tables made in the Newtown area of the Housatonic Valley of Connecticut.  This dressing table shares several construction characteristics with dressing tables made in that area such as broad dimensions, rabbeted drawer bottoms and drawers constructed with the backs dovetailed to the sides.

In Making Furniture in Preindustrial America: The Social Economy of Newtown and Woodbury, Connecticut, Edward S. Cooke, Jr. identifies twenty-one joiners in Newtown between 1760 and 1780, who were born there and worked on average for a thirty-year career span.¹ This resulted in the establishment of a limited number of multi-generational shop traditions in which numerous craftsmen were trained. Newtown joiners used the best-quality primary and secondary woods in their homogenized furniture production, which included dressing tables such as the present example from the mid-eighteenth century. Their extant work attests to the proficiency of their craftsmanship and preference for longevity of conservative furniture styles.

Several related dressing tables are known including one at Yale University with a history in the Johnson family of Newtown.² Another example possibly from the same shop as the Yale dressing table is in a private collection.³ A third related dressing table is in the collection of Historic Deerfield.⁴

Sotheby's would like to thank Thomas and Alice Kugelman for their assistance with the research for this lot.

¹ Edward S. Cooke, Jr., Making Furniture in Preindustrial America: The Social Economy of Newtown and Woodbury, Connecticut, Baltimore, 1996, pp. 51-2, 142-50.
² See Cooke, fig. 23.
³ See "Living with Antiques: The William Peters House," The Magazine Antiques (January 1974): pl. V.
⁴ See Cooke, fig. 21.