Images(7)

High chest of drawers

Dateca. 1770

OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

MediumMahogany, sabicu, yellow pine, and tulip poplar

DimensionsOH: 8' 1"; OW: 45 1/2"; OD: 23"

Credit LineBequest of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Hennage

Object number1989-450

DescriptionApperance: High chest, having a molded broken scroll pediment ending in floral carved rosettes with a central scroll-carved cartouche all flanked by two urn and flame finials; tympanum with a projecting carved pierced shell flanked by foliate scrolls; case with fluted quarter columns on front corners has three small drawers, over two medium drawers, over three graduated long drawers, all cockbeaded with brass pulls and escutcheons (replaced); the lower section with a mid-molding above fluted quarter columns and a cockbeaded long drawer over two small deep drawers and a central, wider shallow drawer over a carved shell and scrolled apron; acanthus-carved cabriole legs ending in four claw-and-ball feet.

Construction:
Upper Case: top dovetailed to sides; bottom half blind dovetailed to sides; horizontal tongue and groove joined backboards nailed to rear edges of top and bottom and in rabbets in case sides; stile and quarter column unit likely glued together, extends through top board; rectangular glue blocks behind quarter columns between drawer guide and dust boards; rectangular glue blocks join tympanum board to inside of top and stiles (possibly other joints are covered); large triangular boards (possibly added) screwed to back of tympanum board and case top for stability; cornice molding formed by a triangular glue block faced with molded mahogany; two screws in screw pockets from top screwed into rear of cornice molding on sides; cornice molding and rosettes glued to front of tympanum scrolls; central plinth has molding glued to front face; cartouche loose in rectangular mortise in central plinth; foliate carving glued to front of tympanum; side plinths attached to top of cornice molding (joint unknown), finials round tenoned into plinths.

Drawer blades in dados or sliding dovetails in case sides, notched around stile/quarter column assembly; three quarter depth dust boards, thinner than drawer blades joined to rear of same with tongue and groove joint, and to case sides in dados; drawer stops nailed to tops of drawer blades; drawer guides nailed to tops of dust boards at case sides; bottom drawer supports nailed to case bottom with drawer guides nailed to tops of supports; vertical drawer dividers tenoned through top of case and into and in one case through drawer blades; full height drawer guides tongue and groove joined to rear of vertical dividers and nailed to dust boards and case top from above and below.

Lower case: back and sides tenoned and pegged to legs; fluted quarter columns are integral with legs but bases and capitals were carved or turned separately and glued into notches in legs; upper and lower front rails tenoned and pegged to legs; medial front rail tenoned to legs; outer side drawer supports tenoned into backboards, notched around front legs and nailed into same; drawer stops glued to tops of drawer supports at rear; vertical drawer dividers tenoned into medial and lower rails; inner drawer supports lapped over rear edge of bottom rail at drawer opening and tenoned into case backboard; drawer guide on proper left side at center attached to rear of medial rail and backboard with glue block and prevents lower central drawer from tipping when opened; tops of legs slightly chamfered on top edges; top board nailed to tops of legs and top edge of back; two part mid molding attached to sides, front rail, and top of case.

Drawers have standard dovetail construction; drawer front are yellow pine with mahogany veneered fronts and mahogany cockbeading set in rabbet around drawer front; front to back oriented cedar bottom boards in dados in drawer front and sides, and nailed to underside of back, chamfered along front and sides; full length glue blocks along sides, with miter cut at rear, and front of small drawers; long segmented glue blocks along front of large drawers; top edges of drawer sides rounded.
Label TextThis elegant mahogany high chest descended in the Bache family from Sarah (Franklin) and Richard Bache, daughter and son-in-law of Benjamin Franklin. While it is unknown if the piece was originally purchased by Franklin (likely his wife Deborah as Benjamin was abroad from 1765 until 1775) or Bache, the younger couple lived in Franklin's Philadelphia home from the time of their marriage in 1767 until shortly after Franklin's death in 1790. With a household that in time grew to include seven children and three to four adults, a storage piece for clothing and linens would have been quite useful as well as elegant. High chests were typically paired with a matching dressing table for a home's bed chamber.
Inscribed"Joh" and a number begining with 2 in chalk on the inside of the backboards of the upper case.
ProvenanceProvenance: Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia; Sarah Franklin Bache, Henrietta Bache Jayne, Benjamin Ginsburg, New York.

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