Lot Essay
With the case attributed to William Wayne, and the carving attributed to Nicholas Bernard and Martin Jugiez, this high chest represents the inter-relationships of cabinetmakers and their use of specialist carvers. Sharing a similar aspect in the shape of the apron, stance of the legs and Swan's neck pediment, the attribution of the case is based upon the Samuel Wallis family high chest of drawers with a bill from Wayne dated c. 1770, illustrated in Horner, Blue Book: Philadelphia Furniture (Privately Printed, 1935) plate 121. The attribution of the carving on the Wallis Family high chest to Bernard and Jugiez is exhibited in Beckerdite, "Philadelphia Carving Shops, Part II: Bernard and Jugiez,"The Magazine Antiques, vol. CXXVII, no. 3 (September, 1985) pp. 498--513. fig. 20. The execution of the acanthus leaf carving with their deep V-shaped central spine accented by the use of a four-point punch, the shell carved drawers with five piercings centering a carved rosette, and star punched ground are all characteristics of work associated with both carved architectural elements and furniture produced by Bernard and Jugiez. Another example of Wayne working with Bernard and Jugiez is exhibited in a dressing table advertised by Leigh Keno, Inc. in The Magazine Antiques, January 1993, vol. CLII, no. 1, p. 18.
The design and execution of the carving on this high chest of drawers also bears striking similarities in both the acanthus carving and shell carving to a dressing table and a tea table attributed to Thomas Affleck, in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (see Beckerdite, p. 507 figs. 19, 19a and 19b and p. 505 fig. 16, 16a and 16b). The carving on the knees of these examples share similar formats, and each cabachon is articulated with a four point punch. While the background on the knee carving for the dressing table in fig. 19 is decorated with a star-punch, the background on this knee is articulated with diapering. Also differing, the carved foliage eminating from the shell drawers on this example is carved from the solid, perhaps relating to carved architectural elements, while the carving on the dressing table is applied. Based on the dates of the partnership of Bernard and Jugiez, 1762-1783, their carved architectural elements at Mount Pleasant, circa 1764 and Cliveden c. 1766, and the date of the Wallis family high chest, 1770, the execution for this high chest probably dates form 1764-1770.
The design and execution of the carving on this high chest of drawers also bears striking similarities in both the acanthus carving and shell carving to a dressing table and a tea table attributed to Thomas Affleck, in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (see Beckerdite, p. 507 figs. 19, 19a and 19b and p. 505 fig. 16, 16a and 16b). The carving on the knees of these examples share similar formats, and each cabachon is articulated with a four point punch. While the background on the knee carving for the dressing table in fig. 19 is decorated with a star-punch, the background on this knee is articulated with diapering. Also differing, the carved foliage eminating from the shell drawers on this example is carved from the solid, perhaps relating to carved architectural elements, while the carving on the dressing table is applied. Based on the dates of the partnership of Bernard and Jugiez, 1762-1783, their carved architectural elements at Mount Pleasant, circa 1764 and Cliveden c. 1766, and the date of the Wallis family high chest, 1770, the execution for this high chest probably dates form 1764-1770.