John Goddard, Rhode Island (1770-1780), fitted desk interior with three carved shells and till, interior of prospect door with period inscription, "Made by John Goddard / Newport Rhode Isle", dense figured mahogany throughout with chestnut and red cedar secondaries, lopers with bone-eyed bird head terminations, case with four graduated drawers, ogee bracket feet, 41-7/8 x 39-1/4 x 21-1/2 in.; desk opened, 34 in.

Provenance: Reginald M. Lewis, Easton, Maryland; Joe Kindig & Son, York, Pennsylvania, 1982; Christie's, New York, NY, "Property from the Collection of Mr. & Mrs. E.J. Nusrala", January 21, 2006, lot 680 (accompanied by copy of invoice for $72,000); Levison & Cullen Gallery, January 2006; Estate of Richard and Shirley Roberts, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Literature: Illustrated in Michael Moses, Master Craftsmen of Newport: The Townsends and Goddards (1984), pgs. 195-196, 201, 209, 212-213, 216, 221, figs. 4.1, 5.1a, 5.9b and 5.9d; Ralph E. Carpenter, The Arts and Crafts of Newport, Rhode Island 1640–1820 (1954), p. 13 (referenced only); Eleanor H. Gustafson, "Collectors Notes: A Goddard Desk," The Magazine Antiques (May 1984), pp. 1148–1149, William C. Ketchum, American Cabinetmakers: Marked American Furniture, 1640–1940, (1995) p. 137 (referenced only); David H. Conradsen, Useful Beauty, Early American Decorative Arts from St. Louis Collections, The Saint Louis Art Museum (1999), pp. 74-75, cat. no. 29.

Exhibited: St. Louis, Missouri, The Saint Louis Art Museum, "Useful Beauty: Early American Decorative Arts from the St. Louis Collections," June-August, 1999.

Note: Similar Goddard signed examples illustrated in Oswaldo Rodriguez Roque, American Furniture at Chipstone (1984), pp.56-57, fig. 26; Michael Moses, Master Craftsmen of Newport: The Townsends and Goddards, (1984) p. 202, fig. 4.2; Christie's, New York, NY, "Important Furniture, Silver and Folk Art", January 18-19, 2002, lot 388, pgs. 221–222, fig. 3.