High chest of drawers
John Townsend
(American, 1733–1809)
About 1756–59
Object PlaceNewport, Rhode Island
Medium/TechniqueMahogany, white pine, yellow poplar
Dimensions221.61 x 99.06 x 51.75 cm (87 1/4 x 39 x 20 3/8 in.)
Credit LineThe M. and M. Karolik Collection of Eighteenth-Century American Arts
Accession number41.577
On View
On viewClassificationsFurniture
Collections
The extraordinary carving of shell, knee, and foot; the drawer arrangement; and the construction details firmly link this chest to the shop of John Townsend, who was just beginning a long career that established him as one of Newport's most celebrated furniture makers. Mahogany high chests were the most expensive form in a furniture maker's repertoire. A subtle feature is the carefully chosen pattern of mahogany grain that zigzags across the drawer fronts.
ProvenancePurchased, probably from Adele Nicolay, niece of Miss Potter of Kingston, Rhode Island, for the "M. & M. Karolik Collection of Eighteenth-Century American Arts"
about 1820-1825
about 1790–1810
About 1755–70
