Q: What is a highboy?
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A: A tall chest made up of a chest of drawers.
History: The highboy, which was all the rage for storing clothes in England in the 18th Century, became equally as popular in 18th and 19th Century bedrooms in the United States.
When people left England for America, they wanted their highboys to come with them, says Marsha Cowles, merchandising manager at Ethan Allen Carriage House furniture stores.
“Sotheby’s Concise Encyclopedia of Furniture” (Harper & Row, $49.95) describes the highboy as being a tall chest of drawers with finials. This tall chest sometimes stands on cabriole legs that are shaped in the form of an animal hind leg. The highboy often is made with a matching lowboy.
Finial adjustments: The highboy’s look and function easily were transferred from England to the U.S. but to fit in American homes, it had to be cut down and finials had to be shifted from top to bottom, Cowles says.
“The English loved finials and some finials on highboys were put at the bottom instead of the top,” Cowles says.
“The highboy was and still is a very stylish way of storing clothing,” says Cowles. “The style hasn’t changed much through the years. It’s a piece that is true to its history.”