Antique Desk - Need Help Dating

[matty77]

Hello All,

Just bought this piece for $50 on CraigsList, from a woman who claimed it belonged to her grandmother who recently passed (who had herself obtained it from an estate sale).  Looks to be Chippendale style, and I believe it is mahogany.  Not sure if the dovetailed drawers are hand-cut or machined.  The top is held on by button screws, and it has hardwood glued support blocks throughout.  Ball and claw feet on the front of each pedestal (see pic), and bracket feet on the rear.  The hardware on the top three drawers are mismatched, and I am not sure which (if any) are original to the piece - I will post separate pics of this shortly.  The stamp (see pic) appears on the underside of the top middle drawer.  Due to this I am guessing late 19th / early 20th century reproduction, but can't be sure.  I would GREATLY appreciate any guidance - thanks in advance to all of you.  Go Mart!

[matty77]

Here are the pics I referred to about the mismatched hardware on the top drawers...

[frogpatch]

The number on the back looks like the system used bt the Kling Furniture Company who operated in the early to middle of the 20th Century  and was purchased by Ethan Allen I believe around 1962. There is a lot of information about them online including a grandson who can help identify the piece by the number. I recently purchased a dresser made by them. Look in the drawer for a metal label.

[matty77]

No metal label...  Do you know what the code stands for?

[jacon4]

Its a copy of a kneehole desk made by the Goddard/ Townsend clan of cabinetmakers who operated in the Newport RI area in the 18th century. The main features are, "block front" & "carved shells". Although block fronts had been around for many years in new england, Goddard/Townsend added those carved shells at the top of the "blocks" which was a very american adaptation of chippendale.

[matty77]

Thank you for the help everyone.  I wasn't able to definitively identify it as a King Furniture piece - are you fairly certain of its origin Frogpatch?

[mart]

I haven`t been able to see all the pics yet !! I hate dial up !!

[mart]

I still can`t see all the pics !! They will not all download !!  Code??  Are you talking about the number and the MAHG on back ?? The number would be the style number and of course MAHG is mahogany !! Thats all I saw,, so far !!  Is there something else ??

No metal label...  Do you know what the code stands for?

[matty77]

Thanks Mart.  No - that's it.  A previous post had mentioned that the stamp looked like the system used by the King Furniture Co., and I was just hoping that perhaps the number could somehow confirm that.

[gardenspotgal]

It looks like my cherry bedroom set  which is a Kling (not King) and was bought in the 50's.  I love their trademark  shell design.

 It is a very nice desk but I have no idea of the value.

[mart]

http://klinginfo.com/identify.html

Maybe this will help you Matty !!  Not sure yours was made by Kling !! Personally I don`t think it was but I have been wrong before !!