Hows it going ya'll.

I was looking through the picture gallery here on the site for the Adams House. One of the pieces that caught my eye was the serpentine chest. Having looked through this gallery once before, the boldness of the corners was the initial interest. Today though, it was the feet. I originally thought that they were just ball and claw. But these feet have five fingers and they really dont seem to be claws.

I was wondering if any of you know of a name for this type of foot. It is definitely not something you see on most pieces.

Sorry wasnt sure how to put the picture from the gallery onto the topic. But is on page two of the Adams House folder under the gallery tab.

Thanks Jake

Jake,

I did go over to the gallery, and have a couple of comments. Not certain of the origin of the piece, but in the late federal/Empire periods (lets say 1820-1840)there were many naturalistic treatments to feet and other furniture ornamentation. The furniture of this period has a tendency to reflect more literal interpretations of artifacts from antiquity, whether you are talking Egypt, Pompeii, Greece, etc. So you see these feet in all shapes and sizes, and absolutely have gotten away from the classic ball and claw foot you would have seen in American furniture of the Chippendale period.

The piece itself has more of a french-y shape going for it. I wouldn't be surprised if this chest is European.

Cal

a link to the galley or a picture would be useful
(cannot find something that looks like the described piece,
and the serpentine desk I found here
http://www.nps.gov/adam//images/20071212122820.jpg
has usual tapered legs, and really sharp corners in the serpentine front.)

Here is a link to the picture. The original on Tommy's site is protected.
http://www.thomasjmacdonald.com/content ... 62010_8365

a french-y commode would be something like this
(Napoléon III period, which would be more or less the same period CHobbes indicated)


I would say the one in the gallery is probably Dutch
http://www.proantic.com/display.php?mode=obj&id=8362