Images(2)

Chest of Drawers

Date1770-1790

Attributed to Thomas Needham Jr.

OriginAmerica, Massachusetts, Salem

MediumMahogany and white pine

DimensionsOH: 33 1/4"; OW: 44 1/2"; OD: 22 7/8"

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

Object number1990-291

DescriptionAppearance: Chest of drawers with rectangular top and serpentine front; molded edge; front corners set out at 45 degree angle; correspond with built-out corners ornamented with blind fret and feet below. Sides of chest straight except at front, where stiles curve outwards to meet edge of fluted corners. Four drawers, serpentine and graduated in size, each with (replaced) cast brass bail handles with round back plates and (replaced) central oval escutcheon plates over keyholes. Cock-beaded edge applied to drawer fronts. Top drawer fitted with a leather covered writing slide and originally had interior partitions (now missing) and a hinged quadrant drawer (now mostly missing) for ink etc inset into the proper left drawer side. Molded base with ogee feet conform in outline with top.

Construction:
Chest sides dovetailed to bottom board (construction not visible); top attached to sides with sliding dovetail on top edge of sides; drawer blades below each drawer (including bottom drawer), mahogany backed by white pine, in dados in case sides; drawer supports in dados in case sides, tenoned to rear edge of blade, and nailed at thinner point (chamfered) at rear end to case sides; replaced vertical drawer stops glued in rear corners; two horizontal backboards nailed in rabbets in case sides and to rear edge of case bottom board, slightly chamfered on top edge and inserted into dado on underside of top board; flaring front corners of case created with additional material glued to exterior of case sides at front with applied blind fret on corners; white pine boards with mahogany base molding at edges applied to underside of case front and sides with unmolded boards across ends at back of case; front mahogany base molding joined to white pine board with giant dovetail at center; ogee bracket feet with one vertical and two horizontal shaped flanking blocks behind; rear foot had angled bracket set in slightly from rear of case with vertical glue block (missing) behind at joint of bracket to ogee foot and a horizontal glue block at top of angled bracket.

Drawers have standard dovetail construction; side to side bottom boards in dados in drawer front and sides with small segmented glue blocks along front and sides; drawer bottom nailed to underside of drawer back (scribe line across bottom for locating nails); drawer front has applied cock beading.
Label TextCraftsmen throughout America produced rococo-style serpentine front chests from the 1750s through the 1780s. A rococo chest with massive ogee bracket feet could be decorated with fluted pilasters on its canted corners, blind fretwork, as on this Philadelphia example, or with foliate carving. An illustration of a "Commode Cloths Press" with a serpentine base and carved canted corners appeared in Chippendale's 1762 Director. With the introduction of the early classical style around 1790, the serpentine front form continued with contrasting veneers and inlay. This example was likely made in Salem, Massachusetts by cabinetmaker Thomas Needham, Jr. (1755-1787), or perhaps his father Thomas Needham Sr. (1734-1804).
InscribedChalk numbers and V in center interior of drawer backs, numbers identified as 2 and 3 for middle two drawers.

Chalk B found on drawer bottoms.

On 2nd drawer bottom from top: chalk 3 and 4 on drawer bottom - 3 on proper right, 4 at proper left near front.
ProvenanceDealer indicated that the chest descended in the Stryker and Blackwell families of Germantown, Pennsylvania. However, without further information, this provenance cannot be substantiated. In addition, the recent re-attribution of the chest to Thomas Needham, Jr. of Salem, Massachusetts suggests that a Pennsylvania provenance is unlikely. There were numerous Strykers living in Marblehead, near Salem, MA, and many Blackwells living in Salem, but there is no evidence that these two families intermarried. There were also many Strykers and Blackwells in Philadelphia, but again none were found that intermarried, nor did they appear to have any connections to families with the same last names in Massachusetts.
Arthur Gross (NY dealer)
Purchased by the donors from Bernard & S. Dean Levy Inc in 1975

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