Chest of Drawers

Maker Unknown, American

Collections

ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS

Date1800-1810

Mediummahogany, eastern white pine, and brass

Dimensions34 1/2 x 38 1/4 x 23 1/2 in. (87.6 x 97.2 x 59.7 cm.)

DescriptionFour drawer chest with curving bow front and ball and claw feet from New Hampshire

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gail-Oxford Collection

Status

On view

Label TextIn the 18th century, clothing and other valuable textiles were often folded and stored in chests of drawers. The locks commonly seen on the drawers of a chest such as this attest to the valuable nature of its contents.

This mahogany and pine chest is part of a small group of related pieces produced in eastern New Hampshire about 1800. Though its curving bowfront form suggests the regional cabinetmaker’s awareness of design innovations in the Neoclassical period, its claw-and-ball feet harken back to an earlier Rococo style. The wood panel above the top drawer slides out to become a work surface, useful for folding and straightening clothing and other fabrics before placing them in the chest.

Object number2016.11.13