Very Fine and Rare Chippendale Carved Mahogany Fire Screen, New York, Circa 1770

retains a period screen.

Joe Kindig, Jr. & Son, York, Pennsylvania.

Overall fine condition. Wear commensurate with age and use.
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.

Fire screens served both practical and decorative functions in the Colonial home at a time when the fireplace was the chief source of heat and light. They not only controlled the heat from fireplace and softened the glare from the fire, but also provided a prominent surface for a lady to display her embroidery or needlework. American examples of this form rarely come on the marketplace. Beautifully proportioned and retaining its original screen, this one displays finely articulated Rococo carved decoration that is likely the work of one of the talented carvers working in New York in the third quarter of the eighteenth century.¹  The masterful needlework panel depicting a shepherd and shepherdess tending their flock is itself a work of art and speaks to the accomplished needlework skills of its original owner.  

Several related mahogany New York firescreens are known. One richly embellished example with related carving was sold in these rooms, Important Americana from a Private Collection, January 22, 2011, sale 8776, lot 80. Another at Winterthur Museum has a very similar bulbous standard and a needlework panel of a shepherd and shepherdess in a pastoral setting.² Another one retaining its original needlework panel has been illustrated by Israel Sack Inc.<sup>3

1</sup> See Luke Beckerdite, “Immigrant Carvers and the Development of the Rococo Style in New York, 1750-1770,” American Furniture 1996: pp. 233-306.
² Joseph Downs, American Furniture, Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods, New York, 1952, no. 241
³ Israel Sack Inc., American Antiques from Israel Sack Collection, Volume IX, P5970, p. 2417 and.