- 819
IMPORTANT BROWN FAMILY CHIPPENDALE CARVED MAHOGANY BEDSTEAD, POSSIBLY BY JOHN TOWNSEND, NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, CIRCA 1780
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 USD
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Description
- wood
- Height 82 1/2 in. by Width 75 3/8 in. by Depth 83 3/8 in.
Appears to retain an old, possibly original, surface. Two foot facings replaced.
Provenance
Descended through the Brown family;
John Nicholas Brown (1900–1979), Harbour Court, Newport, Rhode Island;
Christie's, New York, June 3, 1989, lot 71.
Sotheby's, New York, January 18, 1998, lot 1718;
Israel Sack, Inc., New York.
John Nicholas Brown (1900–1979), Harbour Court, Newport, Rhode Island;
Christie's, New York, June 3, 1989, lot 71.
Sotheby's, New York, January 18, 1998, lot 1718;
Israel Sack, Inc., New York.
Literature
Rhode Island Furniture Archive object number 3007.
Condition
Secondary wood is maple, lacking tester, two foot facings replaced.
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.
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
The superior craftsmanship and elegant form of the presently-offered highpost bedstead suggest it is the product of a sophisticated eighteenth century Newport, Rhode Island cabinetmaking workshop. While all of the extant documented Newport stop-fluted furniture is labeled by and authenticated to John Townsend (1733-1809) it is with certitude that a number of craftsmen in Newport made stop-fluted furniture. Thee nearly identical bedsteads with Newport histories of ownership are known. They include a bedstead illustrated in Ralph E. Carpenter, The Arts and Crafts if Newport, Rhode Island, 1640-1820, (Newport, RI: 1954), p. 28, no. 2 [RIF 988]; a bedstead that descended in the family of Thomas Robinson (1731-1817) of Newport, sold at Christie's, Important American Furniture, Silver; Prints, Folk Art and Decorative Arts, January 23, 1993, sale 7604, lot 563 [RIF 3229]; another bedstead once owned by John Nicholas Brown and now in the collection of Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island [RIF 4802].