Images(2)

Chest of Drawers

DateCa. 1770

OriginAmerica, Massachusetts, Boston or Marblehead or Salem

MediumMahogany and white pine

DimensionsOH: 31 1/2" OW: 38"; OD: 19 5/8"

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

Object number1990-293

DescriptionAppearance:
Bombé chest of four drawers with rectangular overhanging top with molded edges; four graduated drawers, the top two straight sided, the lower two curved to the front and sides to conform to the bombé shape of the lower case; each drawer has pair of brass handles with shaped backplates and corresponding escutcheons; molded base molding over shaped ogee bracket feet.

Construction:
Case sides, which are shaped on the interior as well as the exterior, are half blind dovetailed to the bottom; sides are joined to top with a sliding dovetail on the top edges of the sides; two horizontal backboards are lapped to eachother and nailed in rabbets in the case sides and to the rear edge of the bottom board; mahogany fronted white pine drawer dividers are dovetailed to the case sides; drawer supports (almost all replaced) are nailed into dados in the case sides; bottom drawer supports are nailed to the case bottom; vertical drawer stops are glued in the rear corners; case sides and drawer dividers have integral carved bead that surrounds each drawer; additional mahogany blade with an integral bead under bottom drawer; mahogany base molding is butt joined to white pine boards and attached to the underside of the case bottom along the sides; the mahogany base molding is backed by large segmented white pine blocks along the front; ogee bracket feet are attached to the underside of the base molding and are supported by a vertical and two shaped horizontal glue blocks; angular white pine rear brackets are set in slightly from back edge of rear ogee bracket; drawers have standard dovetail construction with sides of lower two drawers angled to match shape of case sides; front dovetails of bottom two drawer recessed slightly from edge of drawer front; drawer bottoms are oriented front to back and are chamfered along the front edge and slid into a dado in the drawer front with three to four spaced segmented glue blocks reinforcing the joint; drawer runners have been replaced, but original construction appears to have been drawer bottoms set into rabbets in sides with added runners cut at a miter at rear of drawer; brass hardware replaced.
Label TextNearly all American case pieces of this curvaceous (or bombé) form were produced in the coastal Massachusetts cities of Boston, Salem, and Marblehead durign the second half of the 18th century. Inspired by British and French precedents, the Massachusetts models were usually devoid of the abundant carved decoration common to Philadelphia and New York furniture of the same period.
InscribedChalk numbers "V4", "V5", "V6" and "7V" on center, rear of drawer backs (top to bottom drawers).
ProvenancePurchased by donors from Joe Kindig, Jr. & Son, in 1987

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