Images(2)

High Chest of Drawers

Date1750-1775

OriginAmerica, Virginia, Shenandoah Valley (probably)

MediumBlack walnut and tulip poplar

DimensionsOH: 83 1/2"; OW: 41 1/4"; OD: 23 1/2"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1930-3

DescriptionAppearance: Upper section: Flat top dovetailed into sides; heavy, cove-molded cornice applied to sides and front; composed of three small drawers over a tier of two drawers over four full-width graduated drawers; all drawers have original brasses; four graduated drawers have central escutcheons of similar design; full dust boards between drawers.

Lower section: Flat top surrounded by heavy, raised molding on front and sides to receive upper section (this element is essentially an architectural half rail of the kind used on staircases); a tier of three small drawers in front, the two side drawers deeper than the center one; ogee-shaped apron on sides; front apron cut out and shaped; four cabriole legs with scrolled brackets, each leg terminating in a substantial paneled, trifid foot.

Construction: On the upper case, the top is dovetailed to the sides, with the top rail and back nailed into the edges of the top. The top rail is set in rabbets at the front edge of the sides. A single piece top molding is nailed from the top to the top rail, top and sides and face nailed from the side of the molding to the sides and top rail. The drawer blades are joined to the sides with probable sliding dovetails and tongue and groove joined to full length dust boards that are set in dados in the sides. The dust boards function as drawer supports, although modern thin lath strips have been glued in place due to extensive wear. Drawer supports for the bottom drawer are glued and nailed to the bottom. Walnut strips that cover the probable sliding dovetails are face nailed to the front edges of the sides and are set in rabbets in the upper and lower front rails.

Drawer dividers for the top tier of three small drawers are tenoned into the top rail and through-tenoned into the top-most drawer blade. Drawer dividers for the second tier of two small drawers are through-tenoned to the drawer blades above and below. The walnut drawer dividers are tongue and groove joined to tulip poplar drawer dividers that extend to the back of the case. On the top row, the extensions are nailed to the top from above and at the back from the dustboard below. The extension on the second row divider is nailed at the back from dustboards above and below. Boards are nailed to the case sides and proper left divider above the top drawers and to keep them from tipping when open.

The three horizontal backboards are tongue and groove joined and nailed into rabbets in the sides. The back is nailed to the back edges of the top and bottom. Inside the back, two horizontal lath braces, evenly spaced between the top and bottom, are dovetailed to the back edges of the sides.

Drawer blades above all drawers except the top row have been relieved on the underside in the center for lock tongues. The dust board under each of the two outer drawers of the top row has a hole and slot for a wooden spring lock. There is no evidence that such locks were ever installed.

The bottom is dovetailed to the sides. The bottom rail rests in rabbets at the front edge of the sides and is face nailed to the edge of the bottom, these nails being hidden by the medial molding on the lower case.

On the lower case, the top is nailed to the rails which are in turn tenoned and pegged to the tops of the legs. The nails are covered by the upper section of a two piece medial molding that is nailed to the top. The lower section of the molding is nailed to the front and side rails.

Outer drawer supports are notched at either end to fit around the legs and nailed to the legs, with drawer guides nailed to the upper side from below. Inner drawer supports are set in rabbets in the front rails and tenoned into the back rails with drawer guides nailed to the upper side from above. Guides to prevent the side drawers from tipping when open are nailed above the drawers between the front and back legs. A guide to fulfill the same purpose for the middle drawer is tenoned to the back rail and secured in a slot above the center drawer by a block that is wedged and glued in the slot between the guide and the case top.

All four cabriole legs terminate with integral trifid feet. All eight knee blocks are nailed to the legs with rose head nails.

Drawers have overlapping drawer fronts and are of standard dovetail construction with bottoms chamfered on the underside to fit into dados in the sides and nailed to the edge of the back from below.
Label TextA form popular in Pennsylvania but largely unknown in Virginia, this high chest of drawers was found in the 1920s in northwestern Virginia near the Maryland border. Its presence and probably production there reflects the substantial movement of settlers from Pennsylvania into western Maryland and Virginia, beginning in the 1720s and continuing until the end of the century. Found with the chest was a black walnut dining table (CWF accession 1930-24) that appears to be from the same shop. Both stand on large trifid feet of similar form. The profile of the chest's waist molding is identical to those on contempoary architectural handrails, suggesting that the maker was familiar with house construction.

InscribedIndecipherable scribbling on drawers.
MarkingsNone
ProvenanceFound in the northern Shenandoah Valley near the Maryland border along with dining table 1930-24, to which it bears a close resemblance, particularly in the treatment of the feet. Drawer construction between the two is different.