Often considered the apogee of early American cabinetmaking, Rhode Island desks-and-bookcases are notable for their superior craftsmanship and carved, block-and-shell facades. In the lower case is a chest of drawers for storage of textiles, with a desktop above and tall shelves for keeping account books and papers behind lock and key. This example was found in Providence, Rhode Island, in the early twentieth century and relates stylistically to two desks-and-bookcases owned by the prominent Brown family, merchants of Providence.

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