Cheap Philadelphia Furniture

[Jim Kountz]

This is a must read for anyone interested in woodworking.
I think Id like to buy one of these but I wanted a pair and there is only one!!:D:D

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/arts/design/19anti.html

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Wish they had a photo or two in there!

[David DeCristoforo]

If you really want to get a kick, just watch the Keno brothers get into a rare piece of furniture. I've never seen anyone get so excited about woodwork....

[Steve Rozmiarek]

If you really want to get a kick, just watch the Keno brothers get into a rare piece of furniture. I've never seen anyone get so excited about woodwork....


Watched them on "Antiques Roadshow" get into a nice Chippendale chair that the lucky owner had found at a garage sale hours before. Quite entertaining!

[Bill Huber]

But now the question..... was it built with a dowels or mortise and tenons.:D:D:D:D


I would love to see it..

[Jim Kountz]

But now the question..... was it built with a dowels or mortise and tenons.:D:D:D:D


I would love to see it..

Heck no Bill they used their mule powered Domino man!!
I tried to find a larger picture but found only a small one. It is an amazing piece but over $700 grand?? Whoa nelly!!

Ive seen the other piece they mentioned in Williamsburg, its quite the piece of art really. Its amazing to me how those guys did that stuff. My hats off to all you knuckle draggin neanderthals who work that way, you guys are the stuff!!

[Jim Kountz]

If you really want to get a kick, just watch the Keno brothers get into a rare piece of furniture. I've never seen anyone get so excited about woodwork....

They are quite the pair arent they. I always enjoy their segments on the Roadshow!!

[Mark Smith, too]

The rest of the story:

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=5118429&sid=6db8699c-d75b-4f0d-badf-4cfafecdc5a0

Went for over $1 million (with they buyer's commission). Heady stuff. Doesn't say who bought it of course.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

The rest of the story:

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=5118429&sid=6db8699c-d75b-4f0d-badf-4cfafecdc5a0

Went for over $1 million (with they buyer's commission). Heady stuff. Doesn't say who bought it of course.


That's got to be the culmination of someones career. Would be fun to see a measured drawing, just to think about...

[Rob Young]

The rest of the story:

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=5118429&sid=6db8699c-d75b-4f0d-badf-4cfafecdc5a0

Went for over $1 million (with they buyer's commission). Heady stuff. Doesn't say who bought it of course.

Looks good but even to me I can find a few hack-job repairs done on it. If you zoom in on the Christies photo at the top, there are at least 3 chewed up philips head screws in the center carving. :( Looks like it might have been snapped off at some point and re-attached to a backing board?

Beautiful piece otherwise but I do hate to see repairs like that.

[Alex Shanku]

Looks good but even to me I can find a few hack-job repairs done on it. If you zoom in on the Christies photo at the top, there are at least 3 chewed up philips head screws in the center carving. :( Looks like it might have been snapped off at some point and re-attached to a backing board?

Beautiful piece otherwise but I do hate to see repairs like that.


Quite possible, but what would those screws be attaching the carving to ??

They really look like part of the carving, to me. The way the "screw" head is dished looks to fit the radius of the carving perfectly.

[David Keller NC]

Nope - that's a repair (and a real hack job at that). Sad thing is that it would've been done comparatively recently (20th century). Nevertheless, a competent conservator could remove them and make an almost invisible repair. Those guys are pretty amazing.

For what it's worth, that price was actually quite reasonable for what it is - a high-style Philadelphia rococo high chest is a very rare object, particularly in that state of preservation.

What was a lot more surprising was what a Queen-Anne, relatively plain, American footstool made of walnut in the 1740's time frame went for across town at Sotheby's - 7 million dollars. And it had replaced upholstery, albiet replaced with 18th century fabric. Had it the original upholstery in good condition, it may well have gone for 50% more than that.

But what's telling is the rest of the auction - many of the less-rare pieces at Sotheby's went for far below what it would cost to reproduce them. In fact, some of the pieces were well within an ordinary mortal's pocketbook - much, much less than the price of an average new car.

[brent warner]

the keno bros. make me think of heckle& jeckle

[Dewey Torres]

Nope - that's a repair (and a real hack job at that). Sad thing is that it would've been done comparatively recently (20th century). Nevertheless, a competent conservator could remove them and make an almost invisible repair. Those guys are pretty amazing.




I wonder why they didn't before it was sold.:confused:

[David DeCristoforo]

Hey Jim... Isn't that called "Cheapendale"?

http://www.daviddecristoforo.com/Misc/rofl.gif

[Jim Kountz]

Hey Jim... Isn't that called "Cheapendale"?

http://www.daviddecristoforo.com/Misc/rofl.gif

Good one David!! Cheapendale: Thats the crap turned out by 18th century Thomas Elfe wanna be's!!

[Rob Young]

Quite possible, but what would those screws be attaching the carving to ??

They really look like part of the carving, to me. The way the "screw" head is dished looks to fit the radius of the carving perfectly.

Look close, there are at least three screws in there. I would imagine there is a "post" with a "T" or "lollypop" shape at the top into which the screws are run.

Still, it is fun to zoom in and get good close looks at pieces. Just too bad they don't have a 360 zoom with a fly-through view of the inside of the carcass. ;)

[David Keller NC]

"I wonder why they didn't before it was sold.:confused: "

Some collectors are real fanatics about "original" condition, including any and all repairs, however badly done. That said, most of these collectors also contract out to restorationists and fix real hack jobs like those screws. I think what it comes down to is "I paid for it, I want complete control over the repairs". Since a lot of these collectors are CEOs and other wealthy businessmen, it makes sense that they'd have a bit of a control freak streak to them.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

$2 million dollars for a piece of furniture?

I understand that it's a historic piece, but if I was that financially endowed to afford it, I'd instead commission a local craftsman to make me a high boy for $10K and give the remaining $1,990,000 to the Disabled American Veterans, American Cancer Society, etc. I think that would give me more fullfillment.

But, that's probably why I'm not financially endowed. :)

-Jeff :)

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Jeff, I doubt 10 k would copy that. Interesting point though, wonder what one of us would have to have to build one of those? Sure looks like a pile of hours.

[Rod Sheridan]

[quote=Jim Kountz;1055757]This is a must read for anyone interested in woodworking.
I think Id like to buy one of these but I wanted a pair and there is only one!!:D:D

Don't worry Jim in a couple of weeks either Crate and Barrel or Wal Mart will have authentic reproductions available for immediate delivery.....:rolleyes:

Regards, Rod.