ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN GODDARD (1723-1785), NEWPORT, 1750-1770

Robust and sculptural with rich mahogany graining, this dining table is an exceptional example of the Newport aesthetic as executed by John Goddard (1723-1785), long celebrated as one of the city's--and early America's--most famous cabinetmakers. Due to the scarcity of signed and documented examples, Goddard's practices are less identifiable than those of his kinsman John Townsend (1733-1809). Nevertheless, the few tables known to have been made by Goddard display several characteristics seen on the table offered here and taken together, these characteristics provide a firm attribution to the cabinetmaker. A dining table documented to Goddard by a 1774 bill of sale displays braces under the top that "pass-through" the top of the table's frame. As noted by Michael Moses, such braces contrast with John Townsend's braces, which are dovetailed within the frame, and have not been found on any furniture signed by or displaying characteristics of another maker and thus, are "distinctive" to John Goddard. Other idiosyncratic construction details further support the attribution to Goddard, such as the use of knuckle-joint swing mechanisms and swing legs that cover a portion of the skirt (see Michael Moses, "Authenticating John Townsend's and John Goddard's Queen Anne and Chippendale Tables," The Magazine Antiques (May 1982), pp. 1130-1143; Michael Moses, Master Craftsmen of Newport (Tenafly, New Jersey, 1984), pp. 209-245, figs. 4.3, 5.2, 5.5; for related tables, see Christie's, New York, 29 September, 2010, lot 108 and C.L. Prickett, advertisement, The Magazine Antiques (September 2000), p. 13).