Highboy
Unknown Artist
1700–1720
Medium
burled maple veneer with walnut herringbone bandings
Dimensions
158.4 × 94 × 52.8 cm
Classification
Furniture and woodwork
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Gordon D. Meals and Jean F. Meals in memory of Moselle T. Meals
Accession Number
1986.207
About this artwork
One of the most notable developments in American furniture around 1700 was the introduction of "highboys" --- tall chests of drawers on high stands. These chests, often with bases having elaborately turned legs connected by a framework of stretchers, resemble closely English examples of the late 1600s during the reign of William and Mary. The decoration consists almost entirely of thin layers, or veneers, of richly patterned wood. These veneers were cut from burls (tumorlike growths on trees) an...