Important Historic Americana | October 17, 2024
Thu, Oct 17, 2024 10:00AM EDT
Lot 1016
Exceptional Massachusetts William and Mary Figured Maple Veneered High Chest
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $100 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $200 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
attributed to Theophilus Pickering, Boston or Salem, circa 1725, maple and walnut with white pine secondary, dramatic figured maple book matched veneers, baluster and trumpet turned legs, with original shaped stretchers and turned feet, 65 x 39 x 22 in.
Provenance: Descended in the Sarah Wade Family of Ipswich and Salem, Massachusetts; Sotheby's, New York, January 17th, 1997; Property from the Collection of Dudley and Constance Godfrey
Note: With its book-matched maple veneers, masterfully turned walnut legs, and walnut stretchers, this high chest is a stellar example of baroque casework from the Boston-Salem area. It is from the same shop that produced a less ornate example attributed to Reverend Theophilus Pickering (1700-1747) and reputedly owned by by his brother Timothy (1702-1778) (Building America: The Wolf Family Collection, Sotheby's, New York, April 21, 2023, lot 811 (sold $109, 950); https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/the-wolf-family-collection-building-america/the-pickering-family-william-and-mary-figured).
Furniture dealer and connoisseur Albert Sack was particularly fond of high chests from the Pickering group, describing one as "a jewel" that "excels in compact proportion" (Albert Sack, Fine Points of Furniture: Early American [New York: Crown Publishers. 1933], p. 174.) Related examples are in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Milwaukee Art Museum.
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Descended in the Sarah Wade Family of Ipswich and Salem, Massachusetts; Sotheby's, New York, January 17th, 1997; Property from the Collection of Dudley and Constance Godfrey
good condition and integrity overall; the waist and double arch moldings are patched, small sections of herringbone are patched, the cockbead is replaced, original feet with scattered pest damage with some associated minor losses, the Spanish brown paint refreshed and case sides cleaned, some of the brasses are replaced (11 plates are from Optimum Brasses, along with four drops and 14 cotters). All conservation work performed by Alan Miller
