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Lot Essay
The sofa offered here is part of a group of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, sofas featuring eight legs and measuring six to seven feet in length. In the prospering city of Portsmouth, two cabinetmaking firms distinguished themselves- those of Langley Boardman (1774-1833) and Judkins and Senter (w. 1806-26). Langley Boardman established himself as a cabinetmaker in Portsmouth after having trained in Salem. His business was very successful, and he soon became the most prominent cabinetmaker in the city. Boardman also invested in the shipping industry and thus increased his wealth greatly. In 1823 he expanded his business in order to create a furniture showroom separate from his workshop, an innovative practice that other cabinetmakers followed.
Perhaps the closest comparison to the sofa being offered here is that which James Rundlet purchased in Portsmouth circa 1808 to decorate his new home (Jobe, Portsmouth Furniture (Hanover, New Hampshire, 1993) cat. no. 105). Both sofas have arched crest rails, curved handholds, reeded baluster arm supports, and veneered front edges of the arm wings. Furthermore, the corner legs are topped with rectangular blocks decorated with rectangular veneered reserves. Another Portsmouth sofa dated 1810-20, belonging to Captain Henry Tredick (Jobe, cat. no. 106), also features reeded arm supports and veneered blocks on the corner legs, although in this case they are cylindrical in form.
For further details on Judkins and Senter and other similar sofas, see Christie's New York, Important American Furniture, Silver, Prints, Folk Art and Decorative Arts, January 21, 2000, lot 166.
Perhaps the closest comparison to the sofa being offered here is that which James Rundlet purchased in Portsmouth circa 1808 to decorate his new home (Jobe, Portsmouth Furniture (Hanover, New Hampshire, 1993) cat. no. 105). Both sofas have arched crest rails, curved handholds, reeded baluster arm supports, and veneered front edges of the arm wings. Furthermore, the corner legs are topped with rectangular blocks decorated with rectangular veneered reserves. Another Portsmouth sofa dated 1810-20, belonging to Captain Henry Tredick (Jobe, cat. no. 106), also features reeded arm supports and veneered blocks on the corner legs, although in this case they are cylindrical in form.
For further details on Judkins and Senter and other similar sofas, see Christie's New York, Important American Furniture, Silver, Prints, Folk Art and Decorative Arts, January 21, 2000, lot 166.