Images(3)

Chest of drawers

Date1809 (dated)

Artist/Maker John Shearer

OriginAmerica, Maryland, Frederick County

MediumBlack walnut, cherry, oak, tulip poplar, and maple

DimensionsOH: 39"; OW: 40 5/8"; OD: 23 1/8"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1993-325

DescriptionAppearance: Chest of three graduated drawers with recessed frontal serpentine panels; conforming top with molded edges along sides and part of front (molding ends where curve of front begins); base molding also along sides and part of front; four ogee bracket feet; central apron pendant carved with stylized fan and s scrolls; drawers set within cockbeaded openings; vertically arranged stamped oval brasses; escutcheons in form of inset brass rims; evidence of ebonizing on central apron pendant and rear sides of feet. Inlay - Center front edge of top: small panel inscribed "To Miss Christina Krammer, Nov.1809". Center of top drawer front: chain of husks suspended from cloak pins in shape of masks trailing down to ticket inscribed "The Federal Knot". The federal knot contained within this chain resembles four intertwined teardrop loops decorated with four flower buds. Center of middle drawer front: Oval pendant with rampant lion; banner above lion inscribed "Britannia rules the Main"; small chain of husks suspended from pendant. Center of bottom drawer front: of bottom drawer front: Chain of husks suspended from cloak pins with star inlay trailing down to ticket inscribed "By Shearer"; Scottish thistle within the swag created by the chain of husks.

Construction: Case: top with applied molding held with nails and glue; top dovetailed to case sides; bottom board dovetailed to sides; drawers supported on four-part mortised and tenoned frame consisting of drawer blade, two drawer runners and drawer rail; the drawer blades are set into case sides on sliding dovetails; this joint is concealed by 1/2" thick strips glued and nailed to front edge of case sides; inside left case exhibits original wrought iron binding strap attached with two screws; 1/4" cockbeading below the top two drawers and above the lower two drawers is integral to the drawer blades; a third piece of wood the same shape as the drawer blades forms the front board of the case bottom; the cock beading above the top drawer is nailed and glued to the underside of the top; cockbeading is glued and nailed to the drawer openings at the case sides; thickness of cockbeading leads to drawer guides which are nailed and glued to case sides; drawer guides positioned just above drawer runners except on left side of bottom drawer where drawer guide is below middle drawer runner; kicker for top drawer glued and nailed to center of top; back consists of five vertical lap-joined boards nailed into rabbets at top and sides, flush nailed at bottom, also nailed onto drawer support frames; case bottom consists of two butt-joined boards, the front board cut in the form of a drawer blade; 5" deep mitered framework extends 7/8" beyond sides and part of front at case bottom; base molding at sides and part of front at case bottom; base molding at sides and part of front nailed to the top edge of this framework where it extends beyond the case bottom; front feet consist of two pieces mitered together and secured by a wrought iron strap screwed to the bottom; resulting feet nailed and glued to bottom framework; rear bracket faces of rear feet attached to middle of side faces with sliding dovetail; side bracket of rear feet nailed and glued to bottom framework; front apron pendant nailed, glued and screwed to case bottom. Drawers: serpentine drawer fronts cut from the solid; dovetailed at corners; bottoms consist of three butt-joined boards grained front-to-back; bottoms beveled along front and sides and set dadoes along the front and rear; two blocks at front of drawers glued to drawer bottoms and nailed to drawer fronts.

Materials: Black walnut top, sides, bottom drawer front, feet, apron panel, leading edge of case bottom, drawer blades, cove molding at edge of top and base, cockbeading, inlay; cherry drawer fronts on top and middle drawers; oak drawer sides, drawer runners, drawer guides; tulip poplar drawer bottoms, drawer glue blocks, rear rails of drawer support frames, kicker; maple inlay.
Label TextUnrestrained by stylistic conventions, John Shearer worked in the upper Potomac valley in Martinsburg, (now West) Virginia, Loudoun County, Virginia, and Frederick County, Maryland. He came to America from Scotland in 1775, but never lost his allegiance to Great Britain. He frequently inscribed pro-British and anti-government sentiments on his work. The middle drawer of this chest features a British lion rampant and the words "Britannia Rules/ Rules the Main," while the "The Federal Knot" on the top drawer is a jab at the American government. Shearer was not unusual among Backcountry citizens in harboring such feelings.

A panel above the top drawer records the chest's presentation "To Miss Christina Krammer," the 17-year-old daughter of a German immigrant in western Maryland. Shearer made a chest of drawer for her sister, Salome, the same year."
InscribedCase: "To Miss / Christina Krammer / Novr 1809" inlaid on front of top rail. "Made by Shearer to Miss Christina Krammer of Fred. County Maryland, 1809" inside case back in red crayon. Assorted chalk marks (X's, O's, lines) inside case on sides and back.

Top drawer: "The Federal / Knot" inlaid on drawer front. "Le" on inner left side in red crayon. "By John Shearer Joiner 1809 X" on inner right side in red crayon. "Shearer From Edin-" on outer face of drawer back in red crayon. Under side of bottom marked in red crayon with three X's.

Middle drawer: "Britannia Rules / Rules the Waves" inlaid on drawer front. "R" on inner left side in red crayon. "Shearer 1809 X" on inside of drawer back in red crayon. "1" on outer face of drawer back in chalk. Two 1's and two 3's on underside of bottom in red crayon.

Bottom drawer: "By Shearer" inlaid on drawer front. "Shearer R" on inner left side in red crayon. "From Edin X" on inner face of drawer back in red crayon. "Shearer Joiner" on outer face of drawer back in red crayon. "1" and "2" on underside of bottom in red crayon.
MarkingsNone
ProvenanceThis chest descended through the original owner's family with a similar chest also made by Shearer. The second chest has original inscriptions indicating that it was made for Christina Krammer's sister, Solome. Family tradition held that a third chest was made for a third sister. Source acquired chest from Ann Woods, Ltd., Charlottesville, VA, who had acquired it from the family in 1982.

Exhibition(s)