The House of Miniatures

THoM Product # 40024 - Chippendale Lowboy

Catalog Description: Similar to a sideboard, but not as wide. The lowboy often served as a dressing table or writing table for the lady of the house. 2 7/8"h x 3 3/4"w x 2"d.

Circa: 1725

Style: Chippendale

Period: Colonial

Design © 1977

Chippendale designed many variations of the lowboy. His simplest ones, other than the use of the ball-and-claw feet on the cabriole legs, differed only slightly from designs of the Queen Anne period. His richest ones, however, were probably some of the finest ever made. They were, almost without exception, made of mahogany and were distinguished by the use of the ball-and-claw feet on the cabriole legs and by quarter columns at the front corners. The lowboys always had four drawers, one long shallow drawer across the top and three deeper drawers across the bottom. The center drawer on the bottom was sometimes deeper than the two adjacent drawers and was always the focus of attention of the entire piece due to the carving on its front. The lowboy served several purposes in the colonial home, the most common of which was as a dressing table for the lady of the house. During the day it also sometimes served as her writing table. Its usefulness, however, wasn't limited to the bedroom and one could find it used in reception, main halls, parlors, etc. The elegance of the design of these pieces caught the eye wherever they were used and in today's homes their elegance, and utility, still makes them a highly desirable and prized possession.

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