Lot 340
  • 340

A Very Rare William and Mary Walnut Dressing Table, Attributed to the shop of John Head (1688-1754), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1725

Estimate
15,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description

  • wood
  • Height 29 3/4 in. by Width 34 in. by Depth 21 in.

Provenance

Merritt Family, St. John, New Brunswick, Canada;
Owned by Frederick Lawton, Boston, Massachusetts;
To his daughter, Anne Cramden Smith;
To her daughter, Mary Cramden, who married Stiano Braggiotti;
To a descendent;
Sotheby's New York, Important Americana, January 31, 1987, sale 5551, lot 1318

Condition

The cross stretcher has been cracked and re-glued. Later brace once attached to underside of stretcher now removed. Thin veneer patch at junction of stretchers. Drops replaced. Wafers underneath legs and drops restored. front of skirt cock beading restored, double molding surrounding drawers is replaced. Top reattached. Secondary wood is Yellow Pine and Poplar; for an image of dressing table during restoration, please consult the department; also available is a detailed report of the conservation.
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.

Catalogue Note

This dressing table is nearly idenitcal to an example in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art which descended in the Morris Family of Philadelphia (Cathryn J. McElroy, "Furniture in Philadelphia: The First Fifty Years," American Furiture and Its Makers, Winterthur Potfolio 13, , ed. Ian  M.G. Quimby, (Winterthur, DE: Henry Francis du Pont Winterhur Museum, 1979), p. 71, fig. 9. 

See Jay Robert Stiefel, "Philadelphia Cabinetmaking and Commerce, 1718-1753: The Account Book of John Head, Joiner" American Philosophical Society's Library Bulletin (Winter 2001), vol. 1, no. 1 and  Jay Robert Stiefel, Alan Anderson and Christopher Storb, "The John Head Project: Part 1: Documenting His Work," Antiques and Fine Art Magazine (Autumn/Winter 2008) for additional information on John Head.