The carving attributed to James Reynolds (1736-1794) active in Philadelphia, 1766-1775.

Provenance

By descent in a Pennsylvania family.

Note

A related chest-on-chest with a Muhlenberg family history displaying an almost identical carved shell to the tympanum is currently on loan to the Speaker's House, Trappe, Pennsylvania, from the Wunsch Americana Collection.

For related examples of the Rococo carved shell and flowing leafy streamers extending from "C' scrolls attributed to London-trained carver James Reynolds, see the Chippendale carved mahogany high chest, sold at Sotheby's, The Highly Important American Collection of George S. Parker from the Caxambas, January 19, 2017, Lot 2162, and the Chippendale carved mahogany dressing table (04.107) in the Pendleton House Collection, Rhode Island School of Design Museum.