Images(2)

Chest of Drawers

Date1800-1820

OriginAmerica, New England

MediumWhite pine grain painted to look like mahogany

DimensionsOverall: 41 × 43 × 18in. (104.1 × 109.2 × 45.7cm)

Credit LineGift of Beatrix T. Rumford

Object number2020-48

DescriptionAppearance: Bowfront chest of four equal height drawers; rounded and reeded front corners of chest extend to become turned front feet; feet have triple ring, squashed baluster, tall inverted baluster, and two flattened rings over ball feet; rear feet of same pattern integral with rear stiles; overhanging top conforms to shape of front and rounded front corners; original oval brass "fish-scale" pulls and rectangular brass escutcheons with inset corners on each drawer; iron locks on top three drawers only; bottom drawer never had a lock; grain painted to imitate mahogany; drawer fronts also painted with a line of stringing in rectangle with inset corners around drawer front, with a darker paint around outside of stringing.

Construction:
The front and rear sub-top and bottom boards of the case (with space between) are dovetailed to the interior stiles and to the top and bottom vertical grained side rails which form interior frames with the stiles on each side.

The top is face nailed and probably glued to the sub-top boards of the case and upper side rails.

The sides are nailed from the inside to the front interior stiles and glued to the stiles and rails of the interior side frames.

The full height reeded legs and turned feet are integral to eachother. The front legs are notched along their length and glued to the interior front stiles, overlap the sides, and are pinned with a nail to the underside of the top. The rear legs are butt joined and glued to the rear facing side of rear stiles and the rear ends of the sub-top and bottom boards.

The horizontal backboards(3) are nailed into rabbets in the back facing side of the rear legs.

Drawer blades are tenoned to the stiles. The upper three blades are relieved at center on the undersides for lock tongues. Drawer guides are glued to the inside surface of the sides. Drawer supports are nailed to the drawer guides. Vertical drawer stops are nailed to the exposed inside surface of the back legs.

Drawer fronts are composed of 3-4 horizontally laminated boards. Drawers are of standard dovetail construction. Bottoms are chamfered on the underside to fit into dados is the front and sides. Small, segmented (triangular cross section) glue blocks help secure the bottoms in the dados along the front. Back edges are nailed from the underside to the bottom edges of the drawers.
Label TextThe unknown cabinetmaker who made this chest likely copied the form of high-style mahogany or veneered chests like those of Samuel Low of York, Maine (Historic Deerfield 81.0806) or Alden Spooner or Jacob Carter of Athol and Belchertown, Massachusetts (Historic Deerfield HD 2013-11 & 0422). In place of these expensive woods, the cabinetmaker chose to finish the white pine example in Fancy faux-graining to imitate mahogany. Another cabinetmaker, Jacob Carter also made grain painted versions of his chests (HD 200.12) indicating that New England shops produced furniture in various price points for their constomers.
InscribedVarious white chalk marks on drawer blades, drawer backs: "2" and an inverted "V" on top of top drawer blade"; "2" inside bottom of top drawer and "XI" inside top drawer at front, center; “3X on top of second drawer blade from top; “3 X” inside 3rd drawer bottom near front; “N” and “W” on 3rd and 4th drawer backs respectively; “Sold” in white chalk script across backboards; 2618/2 in yellow chalk inside 3rd drawer bottom.
ProvenanceDonor purchased chest in 1975 from Christopher L Glennon Antiques, Haddonfield, NJ.