Images(2)

Chest on chest

DateCa. 1770

OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

MediumMahogany, white cedar, tulip poplar and yellow pine

DimensionsOH: 7' 10"; OW: 47 1/2"; OD: 23 5/8"

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

Object number1991-58

DescriptionAppearance: Chest-on-chest with pitched pediment centering a cartouche in the form of a flower-filled urn and with delicately carved fretwork above a dentil-molded and blind fret-carved frieze, the upper case with an arrangement of three small thumbnail molded small drawers over two slightly larger drawers, over three graduated long drawers all flanked by fluted pilasters, the lower section with three thumbnail molded and graduated long drawers flanked by fluted pilasters continuing to base molding and ogee bracket feet. Original brass drawer pulls and escutceons on long drawers; brass pulls or escutcheons with handles on smaller drawers.

Construction:
Upper case: Top and bottom board are half blind dovetailed to the sides (top board may be dovetailed rather than half blind); tongue and groove, horizontal tulip poplar backboards are nailed in rabbets in the top, sides, and to the rear edge of the bottom board; quarter column, with separate fluted column, bases and capitals, and supporting blocks are glued to the front edges of the sides and a front stiles; vertical triangular blocks are glued behind the corner assembly and to the case sides between each drawer blade; top rail joint to sides is unknown, but short rectangular yellow pine glue blocks join the front rail with the top and with the half-depth top dust board above the top drawers; top half-depth dust board is in dados in the case sides and is notched around the vertical drawer dividers; top row vertical dividers are tenoned into the underside of the top board and tenoned through the drawer blade below; second row vertical divider is tenoned through the drawer blades above and below; drawer guides are glued to the tops of the dust boards behind the top row vertical dividers and along the case sides for all drawers; second row vertical dividers have full height and almost full depth drawer guides butt joined behind them and nailed from above and below to the dust boards; mahogany fronted tulip poplar drawer blades are in half-height dados in the case sides and tenoned into the front stiles; full-depth tulip poplar dust boards are thinner than drawer blades and sit in the same dado in the case sides as blades and are joined to the rear of the blades with tongue and groove joint; bottom rail joint is unknown, but it is notched around quarter column and stile assembly; bottom drawer supports are glued to the top of the bottom board at the sides with drawer guides glued on top of the same; bottom board has two rectangular holes along the rear that likely originally corresponded to blocks on top of the lower case.

Cornice molding is formed by a triangular glue block with an angled mahogany molding, topped by a second triangular glue block with a board across the top butt joined to a mahogany ogee molded edge, all nailed to the top of the case sides and front rail; blind fret and lower bead and glued below cornice molding to the same; angled section of the pediment formed by an angled board fronted by the cornice molding and with the cornice molding returning on the central ends, supported by a mahogany board of pierced fret with a curved piece forming the inner curve; segmented glue blocks along back of cornice assembly; central plinth formed by a shaped mahogany block with molding nailed around top of front and sides, with two angled blocks nailed to rear to receive cartouche support block; backed by glue block with chamfered ends.

Lower Case: Top and bottom boards half-blind dovetailed to sides; top rail is butt joined to front edge of top board and notched around quarter column assembly; horizontal tongue and groove backboards nailed in rabbets in sides and to rear edges of top and bottom boards; quarter column assembly, drawer blade, drawer guides, and dust board construction same as upper case; mid-molding pegged to top edges of case around front and sides; base molding pegged to front edge of bottom board, sides, and supported under case by long, thin, boards; ogee bracket feet are supported by shaped horizontal glue blocks behind upper portion of foot with horizontally laminated glue blocks below; rear feet have angled rear brackets, horizontal glue blocks, shaped behind ogee bracket, and horizontally laminated glue blocks below.

Drawers have standard dovetail construction; front to back oriented cedar bottom boards are in rabbets in the drawer front and sides and nailed to the underside of the back; full length runners are nailed across the front of the bottom and along the sides, mitered at the rear; inner face of drawer front has toothing plane marks. Drawers have original brass pulls and escutcheon and iron locks.
Label TextThe ornamental options on this chest were described in a 1772 Philadelphia booklet called the Price of Cabinet and Chair Work. Options included here include a pitch or triangular pediment, quarter columns, plain feet, dentils, and fretwork. Each element added to the composition increased the price. The booklet reveals that this chest cost about £20, roughly 10 months’ wages for a journeyman carpenter. Other available options included a broken scroll pediment and rococo carving, often seen on other Philadelphia examples of this form.
Inscribed"Top" in chalk on the underside of the top of the upper case. Various chalk numbers on tops of drawer blades (for drawers - numbers appear to have begun with 1 for bottom drawer, 7 & 8 for two side by side drawers, and 9-11 for top drawers), in front corners of case at top and bottom of each case on side and on inside of top and bottom, on vertical drawer dividers.
ProvenanceAcquired by the Hennages from Joe Kindig, Jr., & Son, York, Pennsylvania

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