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1991-39, Chest of Drawers
Chest of drawers, miniature
1991-39, Chest of Drawers

Chest of drawers, miniature

DateCa. 1790
OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Chester County
MediumCherry, tulip poplar, and white pine
DimensionsOH: 22 3/4"; OW: 15 3/8"; OD: 10 1/4"
Credit LineBequest of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Hennage
Object number1991-39
DescriptionAppearance: Miniature tall chest of drawers with rectangular top with applied molding around front and sides; two small drawers over three graduated long drawers; drawers have scratch bead around facade and have round (possibly pewter) knobs; case flanked by fluted quarter columns over base molding and shaped ogee bracket feet.

Construction: Case sides are half blind dovetailed to the top and bottom boards; the top board is notched around the tops of the columns and stiles; the top molding is glued to the edge of the top and the case sides; the backboard is a single piece that extends to include the back of the rear feet, rests in rabbets in the case sides and is attached in the rear with wooden pegs to the rear edge of the bottom board and medial rear drawer support; a front stile and quarter column form the front corners of the case, they are glued together and are joined to the case side with wood pegs; the top and bottom rails are tenoned and pegged to the stiles; the drawer blades are notched around quarter column and stile and are in dados in the case sides; drawer supports are in dados in the case sides with drawer guides glued on top of supports and rear edge of drawer blades, except bottom drawer supports that are glued to the top of the case bottom board; top two drawers have rear drawer supports; top rear drawer support rests in mitered lap joint with side drawer supports and has a peg at an angle into the backboard from the underside; second rear drawer support is in dados in case sides and pegged to the backboard from the rear; a vertical divider between the top drawers is tenoned to the underside of the top rail and dovetailed (exposed) to the drawer blade below; a full height and depth drawer guide is joined to the vertical divider with a tongue and groove joint, rests on the rear drawer support, and is nailed with modern nails from the backboard; long, centered glue blocks along the rear drawer supports of the top two levels form drawer stops; smaller glue blocks glued to the back of the side drawer supports form the drawer stops of the bottom two drawers; the base molding is glued to the case sides and front; the case sides extend to form the shaped inside bracket foot supports with rabbets in the rear feet for the rear brackets; the ogee bracket feet are glued to the underside of the base molding and case side foot supports; front feet have a single shaped horizontal glue block behind the front brackets; the drawers are a standard dovetail construction; bottoms are oriented side to side, chamfered on the sides and front, slid into dados on the sides and front, and nailed to the underside of the backboard.

ProvenancePurchased by Israel Sack for donor from the estate of Helen Janssen Wetzel, Tulpehocken Farm, Spring Township, PA. in 1980