Newport Kneehole Bureau
36 1/2 " Wide x 32 3/4 " Tall x 20" Deep, 450 Hours
Made of South American Mahogany, Poplar and brass. Finished with linseed oil, brushed shellac and wax.
The original bureau was made in the late 1700's in Newport, RI by Edmund Townsend of the Townsend/Goddard family, Newport's renowned furniture makers. Edmund, a Quaker and cousin of John Townsend, was the most prolific of all his contemporaries. An iconic piece of early American furniture, the Newport block-front kneehole bureau is among the most refined forms to date. This is a replica of Edmund's piece which now resides at the RISD Museum in Providence, RI.
This project was an exercise in reproduction. Careful measurements, tracings, and photographs were taken from the original multimillion dollar piece. Knives were ground to match the original moldings since none were commercially available to reproduce what was on the original. It took a full week just to draft. All the details were painstakingly reproduced form the curves of the shell lobes to the angle of the dovetails on the drawer sides.
Made in Woodstock, VT
By Museum Quality Furniture by Pete E. Michelinie
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