Images(7)

Chest on chest

DateCa. 1770

OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

MediumBlack walnut, tulip poplar, white pine, yellow pine, and white cedar

DimensionsOH: 8' 3 1/2"; OW: 46 1/4"; OD: 23 1/4"

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

Object number1991-59

DescriptionAppearance: Chest on chest with broken scroll pediment terminating in carved rosettes; central carved asymetrical cartouche and two urn and flame carved finials on plain plinths; typmanum of chest with applied central carved shell and rococo foliate scrolls; graduated thumbnail molded drawers: three small drawers of unequal size over two larger drawers, over three long drawers all flanked by fluted quarter columns; lower case with three graduated long drawers with thumbnail molded edges flanked by fluted quarter columns all over base molding and shaped ogee bracket feet; all drawers with pierced brass backplate and bail drawer pulls and matching escutcheons on long drawers.

Construction:
Upper case: top dovetailed to sides; bottom half blind dovetailed to sides; tongue and groove joined horizontal backboards nailed into rabbets in the top and sides and to the rear edge of the bottom; quarter column and front stile assembly glued to the front edge of the sides and backed by triangular vertical glue blocks between the top of each drawer guide and the underside of each drawer blade; walnut fronted yellow pine drawer blades notched into inside rear of stile and quarter column assembly and in half height dados in case sides; full depth tulip poplar dust boards joined with tongue and groove to rear of drawer blade and in dado in case sides; drawer guides sit on top of dust board between quarter column/stile unit and backboard and nailed to case sides; bottom drawer support nailed to case bottom with drawer guide on top of support nailed to case sides; bottom rail or drawer blade sits on top of case bottom and has triangular segmented glue blocks joining it to case bottom; vertical walnut drawer dividers double tenoned through the drawer blades above and below, including a blade above the top drawers just behind the lower edge of the tympanum; top blade behind tympanum in dado in case sides and glued to rear of tympanum; full height drawer guides tongue and groove joined to rear of vertical drawer dividers and nailed from above and below into dust boards and case top; tympanum board appears to be tenoned into top of stiles; cornice molding formed by a triangular glue block faced with molded walnut; cornice molding screwed from top of molding into case sides at an angle with two screws on each side; molding on scrolls screwed to tympanum board from rear; carved rosettes screwed to tympanum board from rear; long chamfered glue block behind tympanum board on case top; molding glued to front of central plinth at top; cartouche round tenoned to central plinth; square plinths with applied tops attached to front corners of case on top; finials round tenoned to side plinths; carved shell and foliage glued to front of tympanum; two board case sides have butterfly or double dovetail key inset into inside of boards near top and bottom.

Lower case: top and bottom dovetailed to case sides; tongue and groove joined horizontal backboards nailed into rabbets in the top and sides and to the rear edge of the bottom; quarter column and stile, drawer blade, drawer guide, and dustboard construction same as upper case; bottom rail has one long triangular block glued to rear of rail and top of bottom board; top rail construction unknown; two part mid moldings nailed to case sides and front of top rail and to top of case along front and sides; base molding nailed to front of case bottom and bottom rail and to case sides; ogee bracket feet glued to underside of base molding; front brackets backed by a vertical block, square at top, about 1/2” high, but shaped below and screwed to underside of case through inner corner of square section; two rectangular horizontal blocks with chamfered inner corners glued to exposed side of square section of vertical block; rear foot has one side ogee bracket and one angled pine rear bracket nailed from rear into vertical blocks with long horizontal block with chamfered inner corner glued along inside top edge to case bottom; large quarter round vertical block with square projection at top screwed to underside of case through inner corner of square projection; square section of vertical block flanked on exposed sides by two rectangular horizontal blocks with chamfered corners; vertical triangular block beside quarter round block towards inside of case; all feet on thin horizontal pads with rounded edges; ogee brackets have slight chamfer to inner corners of edges.

Drawers have standard dovetailed construction; front to back oriented cedar bottoms with slight chamfer along sides in dados in front and sides and nailed to underside of back; full length runners glued to bottom along sides and front, miter cut at rear; tulip poplar drawer sides and back; original brass drawer pulls and escutcheons and iron locks; top edges of drawer sides rounded.
Label TextThis Philadelphia chest on chest echoes the form of the example across the gallery but sports a different pediment shape and different ornament. The scrolled pediment here was more popular than the angled, pitched-pediment model on the other chest. This one, made of native American black walnut, cost around £16, which was £5 less than a chest of the same form and decoration executed in imported tropical mahogany.
Inscribed"TL" carved (with serifs) into top of upper case top board at proper left rear corner.
Chalk V in center, underside of lower case top board, XX in center top of lower case bottom board.
ProvenanceJoe Kindig, Jr.
Ex-Collection of Mrs. George Maurice Morris, The Lindens, Washington, DC.
Purchased by donors from Israel Sack, Inc. in 1984

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