A Chippendale Carved Mahogany Desk-and-Bookcase

Possibly Delaware, Circa 1770

in three parts, the cornice with broken arch pediment having dentil molding and pierced and blind fretwork, over the bookcase with glazed doors flanked by fluted quarter columns, with two candle slides below, the bottom section with slant front revealing fitted interior including carved shell and serpentine short drawers, over a long drawer flanked by two loper drawers, above three graduated long drawers flanked by fluted quarter columns, on molded base with block and bracket feet.

Height 90 x width 44 x depth 23 inches.

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Provenance:

From the historic du Pont residence, Goodstay House and Gardens, Wilmington, Delaware,

Thence by descent to the present consignor.

Note:

Originally called "Green Hill", the early 18th-century house was bought by illustrator Howard Pyle's father in 1853. After the Pyles moved away, Margaretta du Pont acquired the property in 1868 and named it "Goodstay". The Tudor style gardens were developed when Ellen Coleman du Pont Meeds bought the property in 1923. The house stayed in the family until Ellen gifted the house and gardens to the University of Delaware in 1969.

refinished, but with a nice even and rich surface, with wonderful figuring to wood; the cornice with a few minor age cracks to the fretwork, the left-facing molding with a stabilized age crack, and small loss along back lower edge, generally with some mends and edge wear along lower applied molding; central bookshelf section with upper interior shell-carved drawers, some of the faces having patched or replaced wood segments, and with two lower drawers with ribbon pulls- both exhibiting old slightly gouged wear along front upper edge of faces, the left-facing door with two cracks to central glass pane, the right-facing door with a crack to two separate smaller glass panes; patches around hinges to slant front (some visible to front of slant front); brasses present really well, possibly later but installed in original screw holes, and are period appropriate; the locks have been replaced; a couple repairs to lower base molding, along right-facing side and front toward right corner; the feet are atypical, but appear to be old, with typical wear including some scuffing and surface finish loss; the candle slides with repaired breaks to facing; one small drawer to fitted interior missing a side rail to support it below; includes on key

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American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts

A Chippendale Carved Mahogany Desk-and-Bookcase

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