Chest of drawers

Date1760-1780

MediumPrimary: black walnut; Secondary: yellow pine

DimensionsOH: 39 9/16" OW(at base): 41 1/4" OD(at base): 22 5/16"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1938-144

DescriptionChest of four graduated drawers with scratch beaded edges; upper edge of case squared off without molding; ogee base molding over shaped bracket feet; brass ball and rosette pulls. Case top joined to sides with secret (unexposed) dovetails; case bottom joined to sides with hidden (exposed on one side) dovetails; two horizontal back boards are secureds with wrought rosehead nails; back boards fit into rabbet on case sides and top, overlap case bottom; full bottom dust boards of yellow pine are either butt joined or tongue grooved to walnut drawers blades; dust boards extend to within five inches of case back and are either mortised or dovetailed into case sides (dado does not extend beyond rear edge of dust boards); dust board construction concealed on front edge of case by thick veneer strips which are nailed in place and lapped rather than mitered to top front edge of case; first three drawers rest directly on dust boards, bottom drawer rests on drawer blade and side runners which are nailed & glued to case bottom thus forming an interior well; base molding & bracket feet cut from one board and nailed & glued to sides of case leaving bottom of molding flush with bottom of case; scratched in line simulates joint between bracket and base molding; brackets mitered at corners & supported on one thin, vertically grained glue block; each foot has two additional, horizontally grained glue blocks that extend at right angles from vertical block & are shaped off to match shaped bracket; original form of rear brackets unclear. Drawer sides have hidden dovetails at front, regular dovetails at back; drawer bottoms beveled off on front & sides and slid into grooves on front & sides; (grooves do not interrupt dovetailing); bottom overlaps back and is secured to it with wrought rosehead nails; fronts of drawer bottoms secured with three 3 1/2" wedge-shaped glue blocks; sides of bottom appear to have had similar glue block arrangement originally but now have single full-length modern blocks which also act as drawer glides in place of the worn down drawer sides; first and second drawers have old & possibly original blocks glued to left side & to back to act as drawer stops (other drawers do not appear to have had this arrangement); drawer fronts have scratched beaded edge and scratched in diagonal lines at corners to simulate mitering of an applied type beading. All drawers were supplied w/locks & are all now replaced; marking gauge lines indicate that original locks were smaller; original esctcheons were ovoid rosettes as indicated by marks & nail holes, but are now replaced by brass inlet keyhole rims; brass bails are replacements that probably follow original design; drill holes for posts hollowd out on inside of drawer front to receive nut.
Markings"JK" in black paint on inside of back behind third drawer; "X" cut in with race knife on right side of second drawer and underside of case bottom; I, II, & III cut into back of fourth, third, and second drawers, respectively.