Thomas Chippendale (1718 – 1779) is arguably the most famous cabinetmaker their is. What other furniture maker has a troupe of dancers named after him? Although his works gave inspiration for a style on its own, Chippendale himself designed his furniture in the Rococo and Neoclassical styles. Unlike Hepplewhite and Sheraton, Chippendale produced a vast quantity of his own work. He was not too well known early in his career but by the mid 1750’s he became quite well known. In his mid to later years he was a sought after builder and designer designing everything from fire grates to full room schemes.
Many Chippendale clients’ homes (mainly English aristocrats) still house his creations. A few examples being Blair House, Nostell Priory, Harewood House and Paxton House. He became such an important figure in English design that a statue of him can be seen gracing Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
As for the design elements found in Chippendale furniture – we often see the cabriole leg (meaning a graceful curve resembling an animal leg), typical for the Queen Anne period which is expected as the styles crossed-over often. The claw foot may have been exiting the furniture design period but Chippendale still incorporated it in many of his works. book As with most high end furniture of this time frame, mahogany was the wood of choice. The top rails of his chairs tended towards the yolk style and Chippendale was not shy about using some very fine fabrics with his furniture.
As for determining work actually made by the hands of Mr. Chippendale, well this becomes a near impossible task for two reasons. He did not use a makers mark so proving authenticity often relied on finding an actual bill of sale (if they still exist). Even if a bill can be found it would only tell us that it was made in his shop. As his success gre he employed more and more craftsmen to work in his studio. It becomes quite difficult to attribute a piece directly to him.
As the Chippendale style grew in popularity we begin to see American builders using the style. Philadelphia, Boston and Newport, Rhode Island were home to quite a few exceptional cabinetmakers. In Newport we find a few Quaker families that were the among the very best and in the case of the Townsend family the skill even extended through multiple generations.
One final note about Chippendale furniture. There have been and continue to be great pieces made in Mr. Chippendale’s style but if you plan on purchasing an authentic eighteenth century piece then you better have a rather thick wallet. A Chippendale piece of this period will command at least a five but more likely a six figure price tag. If you think you’ve found a real Chippendale for two thousand dollars you more than likely found a later reproduction.