- 1444
EXCEPTIONAL QUEEN ANNE INLAID AND FIGURED WALNUT DRESSING TABLE, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, CIRCA 1730 |
Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Height 32 1/4 in. by Width 32 5/8 in. by Depth 21 1/2 in.
appears to retain its original surface and six graduate drops; drawer side indistinctly inscribed with an apparent name in period chalk, Fairbank.
Provenance
Berry, purchased in 1921.
Condition
Width of case: 29 inches. Secondary wood is white pine. The rear knee returns are lacking. Age cracks to the sides of the case. A couple of small patches to the beading around the drawers. Age cracks and veneer lifting to the top with areas of discoloration and surface wear consistent 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.
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
Retaining its original surface and six of its drops, this dressing table is an exceedingly rare example of the form made with seven graduated drops – five on the front and two on the sides. With its use of vibrant walnut veneers, herringbone, and crossbanded borders, deep cyma-profiled skirt, and bold cabriole legs with cushioned pad feet, it is a lavish example of Boston furniture in the Queen Anne style. The top is enhanced with a large central panel of veneer divided into four sections, surrounded by a narrow band of herringbone, all within a wide outer border of crossbanded veneer. The two-tiered six drawer arrangement is unusual for the form as are the paired arches cut high in the skirt, flanking the central drop. The cushioned pad feet relate to those found on several groups of chairs made in Northeastern Massachusetts.1
One other closely related Boston dressing table of this type designed with seven drops is known in the collection of Historic New England.2 It was rescued from a fire in 1945 and consequently has replaced drops, knee brackets, and other repairs. Additional examples of the form made in the Boston area with simpler skirts include a dressing table at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and one at Winterthur Museum.3 1 See Nancy Richards and Nancy Evans, New England Furniture at Winterthur (Winterthur: The Henry Francis Du Pont Winterthur Museum, 1997): no. 7, pp. 14-5.
2 See Brock Jobe and Myrna Kaye, New England Furniture: The Colonial Era (Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984): no. 30, p. 184-6.
3 See Richard Randall, Jr., American Furniture in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 1965): no, 45, pp. 57-9 and Richards and Evans, no. 158, pp. 302-4.
One other closely related Boston dressing table of this type designed with seven drops is known in the collection of Historic New England.2 It was rescued from a fire in 1945 and consequently has replaced drops, knee brackets, and other repairs. Additional examples of the form made in the Boston area with simpler skirts include a dressing table at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and one at Winterthur Museum.3 1 See Nancy Richards and Nancy Evans, New England Furniture at Winterthur (Winterthur: The Henry Francis Du Pont Winterthur Museum, 1997): no. 7, pp. 14-5.
2 See Brock Jobe and Myrna Kaye, New England Furniture: The Colonial Era (Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984): no. 30, p. 184-6.
3 See Richard Randall, Jr., American Furniture in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 1965): no, 45, pp. 57-9 and Richards and Evans, no. 158, pp. 302-4.