American Queen Anne Style Cherry Highboy Chest-on-Stand
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Glossary Roundup
Original Presentation Script
Let’s take a look at this American Queen Anne Style Cherry Highboy Chest-on-Stand — the sort of piece that immediately conjures visions of 18th‑century New England bedrooms and polished brass candlesticks.
At first glance, all the right historical notes are here: a tall, commanding upper chest of graduated drawers perched on a lower stand; cabriole legs ending in pad-like feet; a scalloped apron; and that classic fan-carved center drawer, a proud quotation from mid‑1700s Boston and Newport work.
But step closer and the story shifts from Colonial to Colonial Revival. The dovetails are too regular, clearly machine-cut; the surfaces too uniformly smooth; the backboards machine-sawn. This is a carefully made early 20th‑century homage, not an 18th‑century survivor. Still, it is solid cherry with softwood secondaries, and the brass batwing pulls, while commercial, are right in spirit.
Condition is very good: some honest rub to the feet, a few surface marks, and a mellow, consistent finish that reads as old but not tortured. No obvious over-restoration jumps out in the photos.
In terms of authenticity as an original 1700s highboy, I’d place it around 25 out of 100; as an authentic Colonial Revival piece, it scores much higher. At auction today, I’d expect it to bring in the range of $1,000 to $1,800 — strong decorative value, modest historical value, and a lot of vertical storage for the money.
Used for this report's TTS and avatar presentation.
Item Report
American Queen Anne Style Cherry Highboy Chest-on-Stand
By:Unknown cabinetmaker
Style:Queen Anne Revival / Colonial Revival case furniture
Origin:United States
Materials:Cherry (primary), softwood secondaries (likely pine or poplar), brass hardware
Age:Circa 1900–1930 (early 20th-century Colonial Revival reproduction of an 18th-century New England highboy)
Condition:Very good (honest wear to feet and edges, finish appears original or older refinishing with minor scratches and color variation)
Value:$1,000–$1,800 USD at auction
Maker's Marks / Writing:No maker’s mark or label visible in the provided images.
Date:2025-11-21 05:03:39.259672
Description:
Tall two-part chest-on-stand in the Queen Anne tradition, with an upper chest of graduated drawers over a lower section of smaller drawers raised on cabriole legs ending in pad/ball feet. The waist features a molded transition, the lower center drawer carved with a fan, and all drawers fitted with brass batwing bail pulls. The case appears to be made primarily of cherry with secondary softwoods and dovetailed drawer construction.
Curator Questions
Curated by Jade
Assessment:
This handsome highboy is a well-executed early 20th-century American Colonial Revival interpretation of an 18th-century Queen Anne high chest. The proportions, cabriole legs with pad/ball feet, scalloped apron, and fan-carved drawer all consciously echo New England originals of c. 1740–1760. However, the uniformly machine-cut dovetails, relatively crisp and even surfaces, consistent color, and overall construction indicate a later piece, not a period highboy. The backboards show machine-sawn lumber and a more standardized construction than one expects from the mid-18th century, while the brass batwing hardware looks like commercially produced replacements or age-appropriate repros. Still, this is a solid, attractive cherry case piece with legitimate age and genuine use, fitting neatly into the Colonial Revival movement that flourished around the 1876 Centennial and into the early 20th century. In today’s market, such pieces are desirable as decorative, usable furniture, though they trade at a small fraction of what a true 18th-century high chest would bring. A word about fakes.. in the realm of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival furniture, reproductions are extremely common and often passed off as period, so skepticism and close inspection of joinery and wear are essential. {chavatar_catchphrase}
Individual Images:
none
Provenance:
Not provided.
Condition:
Very good (honest wear to feet and edges, finish appears original or older refinishing with minor scratches and color variation)
Identification Score: 93%
Form, details, and construction clearly indicate a Queen Anne-inspired American highboy, likely Colonial Revival era; images provide ample views of legs, apron, drawers, and back.
Authenticity Score: 25%
Authentic as an early 20th-century Colonial Revival highboy, but not an 18th-century period Queen Anne piece; machine-cut dovetails, standardized construction, and finish all point to reproduction rather than period manufacture.
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