The Ten Eyck Family Fine and Very Rare William and Mary Turned and Figured Mahogany High Chest of Drawers, New York circa 1730

The Ten Eyck Family

Charlottesville, Virginia, University of Virginia Art Museum, A Jeffersonian Ideal: Selections from the Dr. and Mrs. Henry C. Landon III Collection of American Fine and Decorative Arts, August 27 to November 23, 2005

Illustrated, Magazine Antiques, April 1973, pg. 599

A Jeffersonian Ideal: Selections from the Dr. and Mrs. Henry C. Landon III Collection of American Fine and Decorative Arts. Charlottesville, VA: The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, 2005, pp. 82-3

Note the primary wood is mahogany and not walnut as listed in the bold type. Proper right side of lower case with a 3 by 3 inch patch at knot, sides with cracks commensurate with age, proper left corner of lower case with crack and a loss of piece of wood 3 by 1/2 inch. Refinished. Secondary woods are poplar and white pine, hardware is replaced.
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.

High chests of drawers supported by tall, turned-leg frames offered a sharp departure from the ground-oriented joined chests made by the previous generation of colonial craftsmen. According to Thomas Michie, "the inspiration for their design probably derived from Carolean chests-on-stands, which in turn had been inspired by elaborate Continental lacquer cabinets-on-stands that became popular in England after restoration of the monarchy" (Christopher Monkhouse and Thomas Michie, American Furniture in Pendleton House, Providence, 1986, p. 77). This example reflects the Baroque concern for verticality and the contrast between thick and thin components. For example, the six trumpet-and-cup turned legs are remarkable for the heavy dome quality of their cups which in turn plays off the sharp narrowing of the trumpet turnings. The cabinetmaker's decision to pierce the leg turnings at their narrowest visual point with a series of flat, horizontal stretchers further adds to the overall scheme. Like other chests of drawers, these pieces were typically used for the storage of fabrics and textiles. The flat top offered an ideal surface for the display of decorative objects such as china, glass and silver.

A related high chest and dressing table at Winterthur Museum were made in 1726 by Samuel Clement (act. 1698-1726) of Flushing, New York and originally owned by the Lawrence family of Flushing (see Dean Failey, Long Island is My Nation, 1976, nos. 39 and 40, pp. 38-39). A closely related gumwood example sold in these rooms, Important Americana, October 9, 1997, lot 479. Another walnut example sold in these rooms, The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords, October 28, 2004, lot 207 for a record of $198,400.  It however differs in lower case drawers not being divided horizontally into two drawers. A third chest of the type is illustrated in Luke Vincent Lockwood, Colonial Furniture in America, Volume I, 1926, p. 77. A fourth example with similar bell-like cups capping its trumpet-turned legs is illustrated in Isabelle Miller, Furniture by New York Cabinetmakers, New York, 1957, no. 20, p. 21.