This Philadelphia desk-and-bookcase (c 1760) is directly inspired by Thomas Chippendale. The architectural quality of this monumental object is the first thing you see as you enter the exhibit. The carved mahogany portrait bust in the pediment has been identified as the work of Catherine Macauley. The chairs a heavily carved with hairy ball-and-claw feet were made by Thomas Affleck for the prominent Philadelphia family, the Cadwalader's. 
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The Kaufman Collection of American decorative arts c. 1700-1830 was acquired over a period of fifty years by George and Linda Kaufman. It is is now on loan and a promised gift to the National Gallery of Art. This gift to the Gallery, known for its American paintings and sculpture, provides an opportunity for one of the great American museums to present a wider perspective on American creativity.
