Images(3)

Miniture Blanket chest

Date1820-1830

OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania

MediumWhite pine, tulip poplar, brass, and paint

DimensionsOH: 15 ½"; OW: 23"; OD: 13 ½"

Credit LineGift of Juli Grainger

Object number2008.2000.4

DescriptionSmall sponge painted reddish/orange chest with half-blind dovetailed corners; bottom attached with nails; applied green molded base molding and turned feet doweled through bottom of chest. Top with applied green molded edge, hinged with replaced brass hinges, and replaced lock.
Label TextFaux-grained decoration took many forms and colors. While some ornamental painters attempted to replicate the appearance of a specific wood in paint, others used the techniques to create more ornamental patterns. The reddish-orange front and sides of this chest hardly suggest the grain of a particular wood. Rather, they present colorful patterned surfaces framed by the once vibrant green moldings. Varnishes often darken with age causing bright pigments like those on the green moldings and feet to look almost black.
Inscribedpencil inscription inside lid "Sarah Ann Hostaller"
ProvenanceDonor purchased from Deanne Levison in 1984.