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Late 18th c Chippendale Mahogany Oxbow Slant Front Desk Attrib To Nehemiah Adams

$4,900
£3,708.04
€4,276.53
CA$6,842.51
A$7,665.82
CHF 3,990.05
MX$93,355.04
NOK 50,827.96
SEK 47,865.60
DKK 31,923.74
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About the Item

A fine example of a Chippendale mahogany oxbow slant front desk attributed to Salem cabinetmaker Nehemiah Adams (1769-1840). The desk features a compartmentalized interior with six fitted drawers and eight valanced open cubbies, with a central prospect door concealing a small valance drawer over an open cubby and two fitted drawers, with a pull out section that reveals two hidden rear fitted drawers, a fold down writing surface which surmounts four serpentine long drawers with original brasses, over a shell carved pendant drop, all supported by a bracket base. Includes a handwritten note which reads “This desk was made for my mother at the time of her marriage by Nehemiah Adams, June 20, 1796”. This desk is one of only about a dozen or so examples of furniture attributed to this Salem cabinetmaker, and may have well been made at his shop on the corner of Newbury and Williams Street, which he occupied from 1796 until it was destroyed by a fire on April 3, 1798. It was likely commissioned by John Coles Jr (1745-1808) of Enniscorthy, Albemarle County, Virginia, as a present upon the marriage of his son Walter Coles (1772-1854) and was passed down through generations of the family to the present. John Coles I (1705-1747) arrived from Ireland between 1730-1747, purchasing 3000 acres in Albemarle County from the Eppes family, and naming the estate “Enniscorthy” after his hometown in County Wexford. At his death, the property passed to his son, John Coles II, a 50-year business associate with Thomas Jefferson, whose home also served as a refuge for Jefferson and his family when Lt. Colonel Tarleton sent a detachment of dragoons to Monticello. The desk is in very good overall condition, with some molding losses and old repairs on the feet, some surface scratches on the writing surface, old hinge crack repairs, other imperfections, minor restorations, and surface wear commensurate with age and use. The finish has been refreshed. Dimensions: 44.5 in H x 44.5 in W x 25 in D. Ref: 14402
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 44.5 in (113.03 cm)Width: 44.5 in (113.03 cm)Depth: 25 in (63.5 cm)
  • Style:
    Chippendale (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
    1790-1799
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa late 18th century
  • Condition:
    Refinished. Repaired: minor foot repairs and restorations. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor structural damages. Minor fading. Very good overall condition, with some molding losses and old repairs on the feet, some surface scratches on the writing surface, old hinge crack repairs, other imperfections, minor restorations, and surface wear commensurate with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Milford, NH
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 110371stDibs: LU933945906492

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