The Nation - News from June 4, 1989

A mahogany desk and bookcase made in the 1760s sold at auction in New York for $12.1 million, setting a world record for a piece of furniture, Christie’s auction house said. The Chippendale secretary was bought by New York dealer Harold Sack, Christie’s said. The desk, made for Nicholas Brown of Rhode Island, is attributed to John Goddard, a cabinetmaker from Newport, R.I. Nine Goddard six-shell secretaries are known to exist. The desk soars to 113 inches. The upper section is divided into three blocked cupboard doors, each carved with a shell. The lower case has a slant lid blocked and carved with three shells. The previous record for furniture was $2.97 million paid in November for Marie Antoinette’s console table.