Collecting 101
5 Things to Know About
American Chippendale Furniture
The name ‘Chippendale’ is synonymous with luxury and high taste.
It was the first variety of furniture in Europe named after its maker, Thomas Chippendale, instead of a monarch—signifying the changing balance between the aristocratic and merchant classes in the 18th century.
The American counterparts to English Chippendale furniture were made in the years before and after the American Revolution, a time of hope and upheaval as the new nation was born. Subtly different stylistically, American Chippendale retains the excellent craftsmanship and classic style that made the name Chippendale famous.
Ahead of The William Dana Lippman Collection: The Splendor of American Furniture at Bonhams Skinner, here are five things to know about American Chippendale furniture—illustrated by highlights going under the hammer on 14 November.
1.
Who was Thomas Chippendale?
Thomas Chippendale was born in Otley, West Yorkshire, in 1718. After training as a joiner in Yorkshire, he moved to London and began work as an independent cabinetmaker. His signature designs combined Rococo, Gothic, and Chinese influences to create stylish furniture for a growing wealthy elite, no longer limited to the royal court and its satellites.
Chippendale furniture was typically made of high-quality mahogany wood and was intricately carved to form light, graceful shapes. Less ornate and flamboyant than French Rococo—but more modern and elegant than English Baroque furniture—Chippendale’s designs had wide appeal.
The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director
In 1754, Chippendale published his book, The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director. The first work of its kind, it contained illustrations and descriptions of pieces Chippendale could make for his customers. It was purchased by fellow tradesmen wanting to keep up with the latest fashions, as well as wealthy potential customers.
The book made Chippendale’s influence portable, since it could be reprinted and sent far beyond London.
Stephen Fletcher, Executive VP of American Furniture at Bonhams Skinner, says: “It was the most important collection of furniture designs published in England to that point, which created a mass market for furniture.”
Extraordinary Chippendale Cherry Carved Chest on Chest, attributed to Benjamin Burnham (c. 1729-73), Colchester, Connecticut, c. 1770. Estimate: US$300,000 - US$500,000
Extraordinary Chippendale Cherry Carved Chest on Chest, attributed to Benjamin Burnham (c. 1729-73), Colchester, Connecticut, c. 1770. Estimate: US$300,000 - US$500,000
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2.
What are the key features of Chippendale furniture?
Chippendale furniture is characterised by exceptional craftsmanship: the quality of the carving, joinery, and materials is excellent. While Thomas Chippendale’s designs blended Gothic, Chinese and Rococo elements—with some favouring one category more than others—the furniture most associated with the term ‘Chippendale’ is chiefly influenced by the Rococo: richly and intricately carved, with curving motifs inspired by flora and fauna.
Materials and motifs
Generally made of mahogany, but occasionally cherry, maple, or walnut, Chippendale utilised extraordinary wood and was sometimes gilded.
‘Claw-and-ball feet’ are a signature of the Chippendale style, with detailed talon-like bird feet gripping a ball on which the leg of the chair or table rested. The intricate carvings of chair backs or mirror frames often contained ribbon motifs.
Chippendale Mahogany Piecrust Tilt Top Tea Table, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, c. 1760-75. Estimate: US$50,000 - US$75,000
Chippendale Mahogany Piecrust Tilt Top Tea Table, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, c. 1760-75. Estimate: US$50,000 - US$75,000
3.
What were the origins of Chippendale furniture in the USA?
The accessibility of Chippendale’s designs in the Director made them easy to transplant to the American colonies. There, they entered a climate in which Englishness was increasingly politicised.
Furniture made in the Chippendale style was more popular in Philadelphia and Virginia, where Loyalist sympathies were greater. In Philadelphia, with its busy port, more immigrant cabinetmakers lived and worked who had direct training from London masters and therefore could replicate Chippendale designs more accurately.
Philadelphia Chippendale is the most faithful to English designs, in many cases directly copying Chippendale’s designs from the Director. The smallest details might show the influence of the specific carver, but generally the style is almost identical.
Stephen Fletcher of Bonhams Skinner notes: “The term Chippendale can be applied a little too liberally in many cases” in regard to American furniture. The discerning eye of a connoisseur is key to tracing the direct influence of Thomas Chippendale in American Chippendale furniture.
The Scull Family Chippendale Walnut High Chest, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, c. 1770. Estimate: US$40,000 - US$60,000
The Scull Family Chippendale Walnut High Chest, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, c. 1770. Estimate: US$40,000 - US$60,000
4.
How does American Chippendale differ from English Chippendale?
Overall, American Chippendale is a more diverse category of furniture, given the many strains of regional design at play in the colonies.
In New England cities like Boston and Newport, Rhode Island, where Revolutionary sentiment was stronger, high-end furniture was also influenced by Chippendale’s designs but was less likely to be directly copied from the Director. The furniture produced in these cities was more original and distinctly American. But like English Chippendale, good American Chippendale furniture is recognisable for its superb craftsmanship.
Local lumber
Across the country, cabinetmakers benefitted from almost unfettered access to lumber from the diversity of America’s vast forests. They sometimes used lighter wood in secondary elements of furniture such as interior drawers or other areas that were not visible from the outside.
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Chippendale Tiger Maple Tall Case Clock, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, c. 1812. Estimate: US$50,000 - US$75,000
Chippendale Tiger Maple Tall Case Clock, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, c. 1812. Estimate: US$50,000 - US$75,000
Distinctive motifs
The Lippman Collection contains a wide array of American Chippendale furniture from up and down the East Coast, including both New England and Pennsylvania designs.
The distinctive shell motif visible in the Hopkins Family Block-and-Shell Carved Mahogany Kneehole Bureau and the Extraordinary Chippendale Cherry Carved Chest on Chest was specific to New England. It blends the restraint of American Federalism with the frivolity of Rococo.
The Scull Family Chippendale Walnut High Chest, in contrast, was made in Philadelphia and is more faithful to traditional Chippendale design motifs.
One of the oldest pieces in the collection, the Chippendale Walnut Dressing Table made c. 1765-75, also demonstrates a remarkable fidelity to English Chippendale designs.
5.
How to care for your Chippendale furniture
Investing in such valuable old furniture can make one feel like the objects can never be used. On the contrary, their excellent quality is exactly what has allowed them to survive so long.
It is important to keep these objects protected from too much sun exposure, to prevent fading and cracking, as well as keep them dry. A good set of coasters is key to keep guests from leaving an unattended glass dripping onto your new Chippendale table!
But Bonhams Skinner’s Stephen Fletcher reminds us that this furniture was made to be used: “Mr Lippman wasn’t afraid of using the furniture. A lot of the pieces in the house were in active use, but you just take reasonable care with anything you own, not just antiques.”
The beauty of owning fine furniture is that it was meant to be lived with and enjoyed on a regular basis, not just looked at on a wall or in a case. The Lippman Collection, which will be sold on 14 November, is a terrific example of a collection of superb American Chippendale that was lived with and treasured.
The Taradash Family Chippendale Mahogany Tea Table, New York, c. 1765. Estimate: US$100,000 - US$150,000
The Taradash Family Chippendale Mahogany Tea Table, New York, c. 1765. Estimate: US$100,000 - US$150,000
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