 |
 click for detailed views |
18th C Pennsylvania Walnut Chippendale Highboy Ball and Claw Feet stock #JNJpennHigh
18th Century Chippendale Pennsylvania Walnut Highboy with a Scrolled Skirt, Fluted Quarter Columns, Cabriole Legs and Ball and Claw Feet
This is a wonderful 18th Century Chippendale walnut highboy, and was likely hand-crafted in Pennsylvania in or near Philadelphia circa 1750 - 1780. The squat proportions and massive strength of the architecture suggest a Philadelphia origin. The highboy has a scrolled undulating scrolled skirt and fluted quarter columns, as well as gracefully carved cabriole legs terminating in ball and claw feet. This piece is constructed in two sections. The upper and lower cases have solid walnut sides and drawer fronts with figured graining. The highboy has seven drawers in the upper case, arranged in a three-two-one-one pattern. The lower case has four drawers arranged in a one-three pattern. The drawers in the upper case have yellow pine sides, backs and bottoms as a secondary wood, and exhibit precise hand-dovetailing. The drawers in the lower case appear to also have yellow pine sides, backs and bottoms, with the same precise dovetailing pattern. There appears to be 18th Century cursive writing on two of the lower case drawer bottoms. The upper and lower cases are completely original, and are not married. The highboy has a wonderfully detailed cornice molding, as well as an overhanging waist molding. The cabriole legs are original to the piece, and retain their original glue blocks. The lower case has a deeply oxidized one piece back board. The upper case has three vertical oxidized backboards. The highboy also has two 18th Century keys that were taped to the bottom of a drawer. Five of the drawers have locks with batwing lock escutcheons. The batwing brass drawer pulls appear to be original with new replacement washers and the piece retains a mellow old finish. The batwing brass drawer pulls on the second tier in the upper case were repositioned at some point in time long ago. Highboy measures 67" high, at the top cornice it measures 46" across x 24" wide. |
