Drop-leaf dining table, 1756
John Townsend (American, 1733–1809)
Newport, Rhode Island
Mahogany, maple
Technical Glossary
John Townsend (American, 1733–1809)
Newport, Rhode Island
Mahogany, maple
28 3/4 x 58 1/4 x (open) 62 1/4 in. (73 x 148 x 158.1 cm)
Promised Gift of Philip Holzer (L.2001.53.1)
This large and magnificent table bears its maker's proud pencil signature and the date 1756, making it the earliest documented piece by the great Newport, Rhode Island, maker. At age twenty-four, John Townsend was already a fully accomplished master. The table marks the first known instance of that distinctive Newport feature, the claw-and-ball foot with open talons.
