Chest with Drawers
Furniture MakerAttributed to the
Stoughton Shop Tradition
(American)
Furniture MakerPossibly made by
Thomas Stoughton IV
(American, 1662 - 1748)
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Reverend Samuel Mather
(American, 1650 - 1728)
Dateabout 1680
MediumOak primary wood, yellow pine secondary wood
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width x depth): 39 1/2 x 46 x 19 3/4in. (100.3 x 116.8 x 50.2cm)
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineGift of Thaddeus Mather
Object number1849.13.0
DescriptionOak chest with drawers, or sunflower chest, in the seventeenth century style. The chest with drawers has local characteristics associated with the serrated foliate group, and is attributed to the Stoughten shop tradition. The arrangement of the chest with drawers consists of a chest that is about eighteen inches deep over two, full-width drawers. The top (replaced) has a plain edge, and is formed of two boards; the back board is nailed in place and the front board swings open on two hinges. The interior right side of the chest had a narrow lidded till (now missing). The front of the chest has a horizontal rail at the top, over three, recessed panels that alternate with vertical stiles. At the bottom of the chest is a horizontail rail over a drawer, a horizontal drawer divider, a second drawer, and a rail at the bottom. Both the chest and drawers are flanked by a vertical corner stile, extending the full height of the case, and forming the feet. The front of the chest is carved elaborately; the carving consists of flat tulips, leaves and vines on a recessed, textured background. Each of the horizontal and vertical structural members of the front of the chest with drawers is decorated with an undulating vine and small tulips. The center panel of the chest is carved with a sunflower in the center, surrounded by two tiers of radiating tulips. This is surrounded by octagonal molding, and a small triangular block at each corner of the square panel. Each side panel had a large tulip with a serrated edge at the top center, over a straight stem flanked by tulips and leaves. Each side panel is outlined with molding. Each drawer has two carved rectangular areas, each carved with a sunflower in the center flanked by a symmetrical arrangement of tulips, vines and leaves. Each side of the chest with drawer has a horizontail rail at the top over a large recessed panel, over a horizontal rail in the center, over a short vertical stile flanked by recessed panels, over a horizontail rail at the bottom. This arrangement is flanked by the corner stiles. The large panel at the top has triangular blocks at each corner; the octangonal space created by these blocks is outlined with molding. Each smaller panel below is outlined with molding. The center of the top front rail has a keyhole (lock is missing). There are three hardware holes on each drawer; one in the center of the drawer front and one at the center of each sunflower.
Condition: The top is replaced, but is made from previously-used wood. The lidded till is missing. The drawer divider on the front of the chest is sagging considerably. The back legs are shorter than the front legs; as a result, the chest with drawer leans back slightly. Three joints on the chest with drawer are split around the wooden pins: the top left and right rail where it meets the back corner stile and the middle right rail where it meets the back right corner stile. A strip of wood has been added to the top front edge of the top drawer. The drawers may not be in their original location. The chest with drawers has been refinished. The lock is missing.
Design and Construction Details:
Case Construction. The chest with drawers is formed of panel-and-frame construction. The panels fit into grooves in the rails and stiles. The rails are joined to the stiles with mortise-and-tenon joints that are secured with wooden pins. The backboard consists of two rectangular panels with chamfered edges, with a rail above and between, but not below the bottom panel. The bottom of the chest consists of boards that extend front to back and are joined with a "V" joint. The underside of the front and side edges of these boards are chamfered, and each slides into a groove on the interior surface of the middle rails at the front and sides of the chest; the boards are nailed to the bottom of the middle rail at the back of the chest. There is no dust board below the bottom drawer. All of the joints are double-pinned except those that join the drawer divider and bottom rail to the corner stiles, the bottom side rails to the corner stiles, and the vertical side stiles to the rail above and below; these are all single-pinned.
Drawer Construction. Each drawer is hung on runners that are nailed and fit into grooves in the front and back corner stiles. The top drawer also slides on a medial drawer runner that is tenoned into the backboard. Each drawer front is solid. The drawer sides are nailed into lap joints in the front and back of the drawer. The bottom boards run side to side and are nailed to the underside of the drawer. The sides, back and bottom are formed of thick boards. One drawer has grooves cut in the interior of the back, right side, and front; these probably held thin boards in place (now missing) to form storage compartments.
Locking Mechanism. The chest has a hole in the bottom of the front center edge of the chest. This corresponds to openings in one drawer, specifically a vertical channel in the back center of the front and a hole in the front center edge of the bottom. A rod would fit through these holes, forming the locking mechanism for the chest and drawer. At present, the drawer with the holes will only fit in the opening for the bottom drawer.
Condition: The top is replaced, but is made from previously-used wood. The lidded till is missing. The drawer divider on the front of the chest is sagging considerably. The back legs are shorter than the front legs; as a result, the chest with drawer leans back slightly. Three joints on the chest with drawer are split around the wooden pins: the top left and right rail where it meets the back corner stile and the middle right rail where it meets the back right corner stile. A strip of wood has been added to the top front edge of the top drawer. The drawers may not be in their original location. The chest with drawers has been refinished. The lock is missing.
Design and Construction Details:
Case Construction. The chest with drawers is formed of panel-and-frame construction. The panels fit into grooves in the rails and stiles. The rails are joined to the stiles with mortise-and-tenon joints that are secured with wooden pins. The backboard consists of two rectangular panels with chamfered edges, with a rail above and between, but not below the bottom panel. The bottom of the chest consists of boards that extend front to back and are joined with a "V" joint. The underside of the front and side edges of these boards are chamfered, and each slides into a groove on the interior surface of the middle rails at the front and sides of the chest; the boards are nailed to the bottom of the middle rail at the back of the chest. There is no dust board below the bottom drawer. All of the joints are double-pinned except those that join the drawer divider and bottom rail to the corner stiles, the bottom side rails to the corner stiles, and the vertical side stiles to the rail above and below; these are all single-pinned.
Drawer Construction. Each drawer is hung on runners that are nailed and fit into grooves in the front and back corner stiles. The top drawer also slides on a medial drawer runner that is tenoned into the backboard. Each drawer front is solid. The drawer sides are nailed into lap joints in the front and back of the drawer. The bottom boards run side to side and are nailed to the underside of the drawer. The sides, back and bottom are formed of thick boards. One drawer has grooves cut in the interior of the back, right side, and front; these probably held thin boards in place (now missing) to form storage compartments.
Locking Mechanism. The chest has a hole in the bottom of the front center edge of the chest. This corresponds to openings in one drawer, specifically a vertical channel in the back center of the front and a hole in the front center edge of the bottom. A rod would fit through these holes, forming the locking mechanism for the chest and drawer. At present, the drawer with the holes will only fit in the opening for the bottom drawer.
Status
On view
