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High Chest of Drawers

Date1725-1750

OriginAmerica, New England

MediumBlack walnut, cherry or maple, and white pine.

DimensionsOH: 54 3/8"; OW: 40 1/4"; OD: 23 3/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1930-32

DescriptionAppearance: High chest of drawers in two sections. Upper section: flat top dovetailed to sides; applied molded cornice at front and sides; four graduated drawers, each molded around outside edge; each drawer fitted with a pair of shaped brasses and a central escutcheon with stamped decoration; the top three drawers contain their original locks, the lower drawer never contained a lock; drawer sides are rounded on top edges and chamfered on top edge of backs. Lower section: open top with a pair on slats running from front to back to support upper case; molded cornice along front and two sides to receive upper case; three drawers in front, the center drawer being half the depth of the side drawers; each drawer molded around outside edge; single shaped, stamped brass on each drawer similar, but not identical to those on drawers of upper section (not original); front skirt shaped in ogee arch at either side and in a deeper, stepped ogee arch at center; pair of acorn drops between arches; side skirts formed of flat-headed arches; four cabriole legs with rounded knees and terminating in pad feet.

Construction: On the upper case, the white pine top and bottom are dovetailed to the stained cherry or maple sides. The back is of two horizontal white pine tongue and groove joined boards nailed into rabbets in the top and sides and face nailed from the back to the edge of the bottom. The white pine drawer blades are faced with black walnut and joined to the sides with exposed sliding dovetails backed with dados. Behind the drawer blades, drawer supports are nailed to the sides. Vertical glue blocks in the corners behind the drawers act as drawer stops. Thin (1/8”) lath (not original) has been nailed to the upper side of the bottom at the front and side edges to support the bottom drawer. The single piece mitered top molding is nailed to the front and side edges of the top. Three rectangular blocks (one now missing) are glued to the underside of the top and front molding. The front facing section of the molding is of walnut while the side sections are cherry or maple stained to match the walnut.

On the lower case, the two-board cherry or maple sides are tenoned and pegged into the stiles as is the shaped black walnut front panel and single board white pine back. Legs and pad feet are integral with the stiles. Front legs/stiles are walnut, rear are cherry or maple.

The top rail is probably dovetailed (possibly tenoned) into the top of the stiles. The side rails are lap joined, glued and nailed to the front rail and nailed into notches in the upper edge of the back. Two rectangular glue blocks on each side join the bottom edge of the side rails to the sides.

Vertical drawer dividers are nailed and glued to the inside edges of the front panel and glued into dados in the underside of the top rail. Drawer guides are lap joined and nailed to the drawer dividers and glued into shallow mortises in the back. Outer drawer guides are glued and nailed to the sides between the stiles. Drawer supports are centered under each drawer, nailed and glued into rabbets in the front panel beneath the drawers and glued into shallow mortises in the back. Modern blocks are glued to the upper surface of the drawer supports as drawer stops. The single piece mitered belt molding is glued and nailed to the upper edges of the side and top rails, sides, and stiles. It functions to hold the upper case in place. As with the top molding, the front facing section is of walnut, the side sections are cherry or maple.

Leg returns are glued to the legs and to the front panel or sides. Turned drops (replacements) are tenoned through their plinths into the underside of the front panel; plinths are glued to the underside of the front panel.

Drawers of the upper and lower cases are of the same basic construction. Drawer fronts are black walnut; sides, backs and bottoms are white pine. Drawer sides are dovetailed to the drawer fronts and backs. Drawer bottoms have front to back grain, and are nailed into rabbets in the drawer fronts and to the bottom edges of the backs and sides. Replaced (modern) drawer runners are nailed through the drawer bottoms into the bottom edge of the drawer sides. The rear facing upper edge of the backs is mitered on the drawers of the upper, but not the lower case.

Woods: Primary: Black walnut and cherry or maple; Secondary: white pine.
ProvenancePurchased for CW by I. Sack from W.J. O'Hagan & Sons, Charleston, South Carolina.