Lot Essay
Intended as a repository for books and papers and as a well-appointed workspace, this desk-and-bookcase served as an office for a gentleman of stature able to afford the luxury of a carved mirrored blockfront case piece. Fashioned after Palladian architectural designs and English counterparts with broken scrolled pediments and fluted columns with carved capitals, this bookcase and others like it made in coastal Massachusetts, represent some of the most ostentatious and bold forms made in the colonies (see John Vardy, Some Designs of Mr. Inigo Jones and Mr. William Kent (London, 1744), plate 36).
The craftsmanship of this desk-and-bookcase is associated with the shop of Benjamin Forthingham by virtue of an inscribed signature on the case bottom. Whether made by Frothingham or embellished with the signature years later, there are characteristics that tie this example to his shop. Scholars have suggested that Frothingham (1734-1809) gained his experience as an apprentice or journeyman in the most accomplished yet unidentified cabinet shop in colonial Boston (Miller, "Roman Gusto in New England," Beckerdite, ed., American Furniture (Chipstone Foundation, 1993, pp. 191-193). While under the tutelage of London-trained craftsmen, Frothingham was exposed to British cabinetmaking techniques and design influences. The object which ties Frothingham to this shop is a bombé desk-and-bookicase signed by him and dated 1753 (Diplomatic Reception Rooms, see Miller, p. 192). While only 18 or 19 years of age and therefore probably too young to have produced the bombé piece on his own, he invariably would have taken his experiences and applied them to furniture which he made once established in his own business. If Frothingham trained in this shop he abandoned the use of exotic woods and cedar drawer linings for the exclusive use of white pine in his labelled and signed furniture. He also constructed his case pieces differently although like the unidentified shop, he chose not to use giant dovetails and distinctive to all of his cases, his drawer bottoms run front to back rather than from side to side.
Whether by Frothingham or another craftsmen who was trained under similar circumstances, it is worth noting the similarities between this piece and thos associated with Frothingham's shop. The carved drop in the center of the base molding, a feature often associated with Massachusetts case pieces, with articulated lobed rays and flattened central sphere is virtually identical to the drop on a chest-on-chest in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society which is a mate to a labeled Frothingham example (Glauber, "Benjamin Frothingham: Cabinet-Maker" (Master's thesis, Boston University, 1994), fig. 24). This particular drop is also seen on a bombé desk-and-bookcase illustrated in Sack, The New Fine Points of Furniture (New York, 1993), p. 170, which shares the identical carved hairy paw feet as on this bookcase. The latter example in turn is closely related to a bombé desk-and-bookcase with hairy paw feet, scalloped doors, corinthian pilasters and broken scrolled pediment with carved rosettes which is in the collection of the Fogg Art Museum and is signed with the chalk initials 'BF' on the drawers in a manner associated with Frothingham (Glauber, FIG. 17; Randall, "Benjamin forthingham," whitehill, ed., Boston Furniture of the Eighteenth Century (Boston, 1974).
The reverse-curve doors, indicative of later chippendale designs, the blocked lower case and the arrangement of the upper and lower case interiors are features common to other Massachusetts examples. A desk-and-bookcase most closely related to this piece is in the collection of the Socitey for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (Jobe and Kaye, New England Furniture (Boston, 1984), no. 50). Each share similar construction features, a blocked facade, nearly identical fitted interiors, scalloped doors, corinthian-carved capitals with fluted pilasters, carved rosettes with swirled petals and the unusual gadrooned pediment; aside from the absence of a giant dovetail and the hairy-carved feet of this example, the two are virtually identical and may be the products of the same shop, possibly disassociating them with the work of Benjamin Forthingham.
Perhaps the most distinctive elements of this bookcase are the imposing hairy carved ball-and-claw feet. Illustrated in Thomas Chippendale's Director of 1754, see detail, and brought to the colonies by way of imported objects and craftsmen, hairy-carved feet were the most expensive option available to patrons. The craftsman who carved the feet of this bookcase apparently also carved the feet on the example from Sack and on a desk-and-bookcase in private hants (Lockwood, Colonial Furniture 1 (New York, 1926), fig. LV); all feature curved flowing deeply incised lines and long talons similar to the hairy carved feet executed by a yet unidentified British craftsmen (Christie's June 22, 1994, lot 227) but different from the hairy-paw feet on a labeled Frothingham slant-front desk in the collection of Historic Deerfield (Randall, no. 168).
The carved corinthian capitals and the layout of the fluted pilasters on the upper case, although carved by a different hant, relate to elements on the desk-and-bookcases associated with the hand of carver John Welch (1711-89) and made by the unidentified Boston shop with which Frothingham was associated (Miller, pp. 168-196). Derived directly from architectural pattern books as far back as Sebastian Serlio's Book of Architecture published in the early sixteenth century, the carver of these capitals paid strict attention to the classical source which he was deliberately copying, see illustration. The artisan apparently aso closely followed the designs put forth in Sloan's ________________, London, 17__, which he used for the edging of the glass doors and cornice; the swirled rosettes are possibly derived from this publication as well and were also favored by other Massachusetts craftsmen such as George Bright and John Cogswell, see illustration (Vincent, "The Bombe Furniture of Boston," Boston Furniture, nos. 124, 125).
Whether a product of Benjamin Frothingham or one of his numerous competitors active in late eighteenth century Boston or Charlestown, this desk-and-bookcase embodies the stylistic Palladian elements characteristic to high style Massachusetts furniture influenced by British shop traditions and design sources. Related desk-and-bookcases not listed above include an example attributed to James MacMillian of Boston (Vincent, no. 101); see also Vincent, no. 132. For blocked slant-front desks with hairy-paw feet see: Lovell, "Boston Blockfront Furniture," Boston Furniture, no. 81; Randall, no. 168; and a desk in a private collection, see the Decorative Arts Photographic Collection, Winterthur Museum.
The craftsmanship of this desk-and-bookcase is associated with the shop of Benjamin Forthingham by virtue of an inscribed signature on the case bottom. Whether made by Frothingham or embellished with the signature years later, there are characteristics that tie this example to his shop. Scholars have suggested that Frothingham (1734-1809) gained his experience as an apprentice or journeyman in the most accomplished yet unidentified cabinet shop in colonial Boston (Miller, "Roman Gusto in New England," Beckerdite, ed., American Furniture (Chipstone Foundation, 1993, pp. 191-193). While under the tutelage of London-trained craftsmen, Frothingham was exposed to British cabinetmaking techniques and design influences. The object which ties Frothingham to this shop is a bombé desk-and-bookicase signed by him and dated 1753 (Diplomatic Reception Rooms, see Miller, p. 192). While only 18 or 19 years of age and therefore probably too young to have produced the bombé piece on his own, he invariably would have taken his experiences and applied them to furniture which he made once established in his own business. If Frothingham trained in this shop he abandoned the use of exotic woods and cedar drawer linings for the exclusive use of white pine in his labelled and signed furniture. He also constructed his case pieces differently although like the unidentified shop, he chose not to use giant dovetails and distinctive to all of his cases, his drawer bottoms run front to back rather than from side to side.
Whether by Frothingham or another craftsmen who was trained under similar circumstances, it is worth noting the similarities between this piece and thos associated with Frothingham's shop. The carved drop in the center of the base molding, a feature often associated with Massachusetts case pieces, with articulated lobed rays and flattened central sphere is virtually identical to the drop on a chest-on-chest in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society which is a mate to a labeled Frothingham example (Glauber, "Benjamin Frothingham: Cabinet-Maker" (Master's thesis, Boston University, 1994), fig. 24). This particular drop is also seen on a bombé desk-and-bookcase illustrated in Sack, The New Fine Points of Furniture (New York, 1993), p. 170, which shares the identical carved hairy paw feet as on this bookcase. The latter example in turn is closely related to a bombé desk-and-bookcase with hairy paw feet, scalloped doors, corinthian pilasters and broken scrolled pediment with carved rosettes which is in the collection of the Fogg Art Museum and is signed with the chalk initials 'BF' on the drawers in a manner associated with Frothingham (Glauber, FIG. 17; Randall, "Benjamin forthingham," whitehill, ed., Boston Furniture of the Eighteenth Century (Boston, 1974).
The reverse-curve doors, indicative of later chippendale designs, the blocked lower case and the arrangement of the upper and lower case interiors are features common to other Massachusetts examples. A desk-and-bookcase most closely related to this piece is in the collection of the Socitey for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (Jobe and Kaye, New England Furniture (Boston, 1984), no. 50). Each share similar construction features, a blocked facade, nearly identical fitted interiors, scalloped doors, corinthian-carved capitals with fluted pilasters, carved rosettes with swirled petals and the unusual gadrooned pediment; aside from the absence of a giant dovetail and the hairy-carved feet of this example, the two are virtually identical and may be the products of the same shop, possibly disassociating them with the work of Benjamin Forthingham.
Perhaps the most distinctive elements of this bookcase are the imposing hairy carved ball-and-claw feet. Illustrated in Thomas Chippendale's Director of 1754, see detail, and brought to the colonies by way of imported objects and craftsmen, hairy-carved feet were the most expensive option available to patrons. The craftsman who carved the feet of this bookcase apparently also carved the feet on the example from Sack and on a desk-and-bookcase in private hants (Lockwood, Colonial Furniture 1 (New York, 1926), fig. LV); all feature curved flowing deeply incised lines and long talons similar to the hairy carved feet executed by a yet unidentified British craftsmen (Christie's June 22, 1994, lot 227) but different from the hairy-paw feet on a labeled Frothingham slant-front desk in the collection of Historic Deerfield (Randall, no. 168).
The carved corinthian capitals and the layout of the fluted pilasters on the upper case, although carved by a different hant, relate to elements on the desk-and-bookcases associated with the hand of carver John Welch (1711-89) and made by the unidentified Boston shop with which Frothingham was associated (Miller, pp. 168-196). Derived directly from architectural pattern books as far back as Sebastian Serlio's Book of Architecture published in the early sixteenth century, the carver of these capitals paid strict attention to the classical source which he was deliberately copying, see illustration. The artisan apparently aso closely followed the designs put forth in Sloan's ________________, London, 17__, which he used for the edging of the glass doors and cornice; the swirled rosettes are possibly derived from this publication as well and were also favored by other Massachusetts craftsmen such as George Bright and John Cogswell, see illustration (Vincent, "The Bombe Furniture of Boston," Boston Furniture, nos. 124, 125).
Whether a product of Benjamin Frothingham or one of his numerous competitors active in late eighteenth century Boston or Charlestown, this desk-and-bookcase embodies the stylistic Palladian elements characteristic to high style Massachusetts furniture influenced by British shop traditions and design sources. Related desk-and-bookcases not listed above include an example attributed to James MacMillian of Boston (Vincent, no. 101); see also Vincent, no. 132. For blocked slant-front desks with hairy-paw feet see: Lovell, "Boston Blockfront Furniture," Boston Furniture, no. 81; Randall, no. 168; and a desk in a private collection, see the Decorative Arts Photographic Collection, Winterthur Museum.