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Lot Essay
With stop-fluting, cross-hatching and pierced brackets, this table is a close parallel to the work of John Townsend from the late 1780s. Outwardly appearing like Townsend's labeled stop-fluted furniture, subtle variations in its decorative treatment and more substantive differences in the table's construction indicate the hand of another cabinetmaker, one who was visually familiar with Townsend's style.
The table's decorative ornament is seen on four stop-fluted tables labeled by Townsend, all of which appear to have been made between 1785 and 1790. While it cannot be proved that Townsend introduced the stop-fluted style to Newport, he was certainly one of its more frequent makers as evidenced by the labeled survivals and the mention of two tables with "fluted legs" in his 1805 will. The style was probably introduced around the time of Townsend's first known table in this style, a labeled card table probably made in 1786 and appearing on Federal-style easy chairs, stop-fluting may have been made as late as 1810 in Newport. The pier table offered here has a closely related applied filleted bead molding and cross-hatching of the same character as the labeled card table. However, the pierced brackets differ in design from Townsend's known work. Most distinctive is the presence of stop-fluting on all four facades of each leg. In contrast, Townsend only embellished the exterior surfaces of the legs and the inner corner edges of his legs are chamfered, unlike those on the table offered here. Also varying from Townsend's well-documented practices is the cross-bracing of the frame. Here, the table features one centrally placed cross brace joining the front and rear rails as opposed to the five or six dovetailed frames seen on Townsend's labeled stop-fluted tables (Morrison H. Heckscher, John Townsend Newport Cabinetmaker (New Haven, Connecticut, 2005), pp. 140-151, cats. 32-35; see also, Joseph K. Ott, "John Townsend: A Chair and Two Tables," The Magazine Antiques (September 1968), p. 389-390).
Several other Newport cabinetmakers are known to have made stop-fluted furniture and they stand as possible makers for this table, but their production of the style is only known through documentary records rather than surviving furniture. As cited by Morrison H. Heckscher, Edmund Townsend 's 1811 will includes a reference to "one Mahogany Breakfast Table with wings and fluted legs" and in 1787, Townsend Goddard made a maple bedstead "Fluted Posts & Bases" for Christopher Champlin. Furthermore, John Goddard's receipts to Aaron Lopez in 1769 and 1773 comprise the earliest mention of fluted furniture in Newport; however, as Heckscher speculates, it is unlikely that Goddard's work from this time displayed the emerging Neoclassicism seen on Townsend's 1780s forms akin to the table offered here (Heckscher, pp. 140-141).
With its stop-fluted design and family history, this pier table may have been owned by the Brown family of Providence. In the 1960s, it was purchased from Mrs. Hope (Goddard) Iselin (1868-1970), a great-great granddaughter of Nicholas Brown (1729-1791), one of the renowned Brown brothers, Providence's leading merchants in the eighteenth century. While Joseph K. Ott was careful not to presume its ownership by Brown, the known patronage of Nicholas and his relations certainly makes it likely that this family would have owned such a table. Furniture owned by Nicholas Brown includes some of the most celebrated survivals of Newport craftsmanship, such as the Nicholas Brown desk-and-bookcase, the most expensive piece of American furniture sold at auction. His 1791 estate inventory includes "1 do [Mahogany] 4 do [foot Table]" valued at L2 5 shillings, possibly a reference to the table offered here despite its width being six inches great than four feet (Christie's New York, Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Silver and Chinese Export, 20 January 2012, lots 115 and 116; Christie's New York, 3 January 1989; "Inventory of the Personal Estate of Nicholas Brown Esquire, Deceased," 1791, Rhode Island Historical Society). Nicholas' brother, John Brown (1736-1803), also owned furniture by Goddard as well as stop-fluted furniture that like this table differs from the practices of John Townsend. Of similar style and with related owners, John Brown's stop-fluted furniture, sofas, card tables and beds, may have been made in the same shop as the table offered here (Joseph K. Ott, "Some Rhode Island Furniture," The Magazine Antiques (May 1975), p. 941, fig. 3; Wendy A. Cooper, "The purchase of furniture and furnishings by John Brown, Providence merchant, Part I: 1760-1788" The Magazine Antiques (February 1973), p. 333, figs. 9, 10; Heckscher, p. 140).
While Nicholas Brown may have commissioned this table toward the end of his life, it is more likely that given its dates, it was made for his daughter Hope Brown (1773-1855) possibly upon her marriage to Thomas Poynton Ives (1769-1835) in 1792. If owned by this couple, the table stood alongside many of the Newport masterpieces mentioned above, which were inherited by Hope in their home, a large brick mansion (fig. 1) neighboring John Brown's house on Providence's Power Street. The table then appears to have descended to their first born, Charlotte Rhoda Ives (b. 1792), who married William Giles Goddard (1794-1846). Their son, Robert Hales Ives Goddard (1837-1916) later inherited the Thomas Poynton Ives house and some of Nicholas Brown's furniture; Charlotte and William's older son, William Goddard (1825-1907) probably inherited this table as it was owned by his daughter, Edith Hope (Goddard) Iselin (1868-1970). As noted by Joseph K. Ott, who recorded that he had seen a receipt of the transaction, the table was sold by Mrs. Iselin from her home at 38 Brown Street, Providence through her representative Maxwell Turner, to Harry Arons who then sold the table to Ott in late 1966 (Joseph K. Ott, handwritten and undated note and "Fine Arts Items," 7 March 1967, Joseph K. Ott Papers).
The table's decorative ornament is seen on four stop-fluted tables labeled by Townsend, all of which appear to have been made between 1785 and 1790. While it cannot be proved that Townsend introduced the stop-fluted style to Newport, he was certainly one of its more frequent makers as evidenced by the labeled survivals and the mention of two tables with "fluted legs" in his 1805 will. The style was probably introduced around the time of Townsend's first known table in this style, a labeled card table probably made in 1786 and appearing on Federal-style easy chairs, stop-fluting may have been made as late as 1810 in Newport. The pier table offered here has a closely related applied filleted bead molding and cross-hatching of the same character as the labeled card table. However, the pierced brackets differ in design from Townsend's known work. Most distinctive is the presence of stop-fluting on all four facades of each leg. In contrast, Townsend only embellished the exterior surfaces of the legs and the inner corner edges of his legs are chamfered, unlike those on the table offered here. Also varying from Townsend's well-documented practices is the cross-bracing of the frame. Here, the table features one centrally placed cross brace joining the front and rear rails as opposed to the five or six dovetailed frames seen on Townsend's labeled stop-fluted tables (Morrison H. Heckscher, John Townsend Newport Cabinetmaker (New Haven, Connecticut, 2005), pp. 140-151, cats. 32-35; see also, Joseph K. Ott, "John Townsend: A Chair and Two Tables," The Magazine Antiques (September 1968), p. 389-390).
Several other Newport cabinetmakers are known to have made stop-fluted furniture and they stand as possible makers for this table, but their production of the style is only known through documentary records rather than surviving furniture. As cited by Morrison H. Heckscher, Edmund Townsend 's 1811 will includes a reference to "one Mahogany Breakfast Table with wings and fluted legs" and in 1787, Townsend Goddard made a maple bedstead "Fluted Posts & Bases" for Christopher Champlin. Furthermore, John Goddard's receipts to Aaron Lopez in 1769 and 1773 comprise the earliest mention of fluted furniture in Newport; however, as Heckscher speculates, it is unlikely that Goddard's work from this time displayed the emerging Neoclassicism seen on Townsend's 1780s forms akin to the table offered here (Heckscher, pp. 140-141).
With its stop-fluted design and family history, this pier table may have been owned by the Brown family of Providence. In the 1960s, it was purchased from Mrs. Hope (Goddard) Iselin (1868-1970), a great-great granddaughter of Nicholas Brown (1729-1791), one of the renowned Brown brothers, Providence's leading merchants in the eighteenth century. While Joseph K. Ott was careful not to presume its ownership by Brown, the known patronage of Nicholas and his relations certainly makes it likely that this family would have owned such a table. Furniture owned by Nicholas Brown includes some of the most celebrated survivals of Newport craftsmanship, such as the Nicholas Brown desk-and-bookcase, the most expensive piece of American furniture sold at auction. His 1791 estate inventory includes "1 do [Mahogany] 4 do [foot Table]" valued at L2 5 shillings, possibly a reference to the table offered here despite its width being six inches great than four feet (Christie's New York, Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Silver and Chinese Export, 20 January 2012, lots 115 and 116; Christie's New York, 3 January 1989; "Inventory of the Personal Estate of Nicholas Brown Esquire, Deceased," 1791, Rhode Island Historical Society). Nicholas' brother, John Brown (1736-1803), also owned furniture by Goddard as well as stop-fluted furniture that like this table differs from the practices of John Townsend. Of similar style and with related owners, John Brown's stop-fluted furniture, sofas, card tables and beds, may have been made in the same shop as the table offered here (Joseph K. Ott, "Some Rhode Island Furniture," The Magazine Antiques (May 1975), p. 941, fig. 3; Wendy A. Cooper, "The purchase of furniture and furnishings by John Brown, Providence merchant, Part I: 1760-1788" The Magazine Antiques (February 1973), p. 333, figs. 9, 10; Heckscher, p. 140).
While Nicholas Brown may have commissioned this table toward the end of his life, it is more likely that given its dates, it was made for his daughter Hope Brown (1773-1855) possibly upon her marriage to Thomas Poynton Ives (1769-1835) in 1792. If owned by this couple, the table stood alongside many of the Newport masterpieces mentioned above, which were inherited by Hope in their home, a large brick mansion (fig. 1) neighboring John Brown's house on Providence's Power Street. The table then appears to have descended to their first born, Charlotte Rhoda Ives (b. 1792), who married William Giles Goddard (1794-1846). Their son, Robert Hales Ives Goddard (1837-1916) later inherited the Thomas Poynton Ives house and some of Nicholas Brown's furniture; Charlotte and William's older son, William Goddard (1825-1907) probably inherited this table as it was owned by his daughter, Edith Hope (Goddard) Iselin (1868-1970). As noted by Joseph K. Ott, who recorded that he had seen a receipt of the transaction, the table was sold by Mrs. Iselin from her home at 38 Brown Street, Providence through her representative Maxwell Turner, to Harry Arons who then sold the table to Ott in late 1966 (Joseph K. Ott, handwritten and undated note and "Fine Arts Items," 7 March 1967, Joseph K. Ott Papers).