Chest with Drawers
Furniture MakerMade by
Unknown
Date1680-1710
MediumOak primary wood, iron hardware
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (overall height x width x depth): 39 13/16 x 47 3/4 x 21 3/16in. (101.1 x 121.3 x 53.8cm)
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineConnecticut Museum of Culture and History collection
Object number1846.24.0
DescriptionOak chest with drawers, or sunflower chest, in the seventeenth century style. The arrangement of the chest with drawers consists of a chest that is 15 2/3 inches deep over two, full-width drawers. The top (replaced) has ovolo, or thumbnail, molding on the front and sides; a cleat, or strip of wood, extends from the front to back on the underside of each side of the top. The chest has a narrow lidded till on the interior right side. The front of the chest has a top rail with a band of horizontal, incised molding, painted black. Below this, the front of the chest has three, recessed, panels alternating with single or paired, applied, vertical, split spindles, painted black. The three panels between the four front vertical stiles are carved with floral motifs on a punched, or textured, background. The center panel has triangular pieces of wood at each corner that are painted black; these create an octagonal carved area in the center that is outlined in molding, painted red. The carving on the center panel consists of three carved sunflowers with tulips between. The left and right panel are each outlined in molding, painted red. The left and right panels each have a wide, stylized tulip over a stem and additional tulips. There are three applied, full-width bands of molding, painted black, one each located below the carved panels, between the drawers, and below the bottom drawer. Each drawer is full-width but has applied decoration to imitate two drawers in a line. The center of each drawer is decorated with two small, applied split spindles. This is flanked by an elongated, octagonal area surrounded with red painted molding and black applied triangular blocks at each corner. The center of each octagonal area has a small wood knob flanked by a boss, or applied oval, that is painted black. Each drawer is flanked by two small, applied, split spindles; these are applied to the corner stiles. Each side of the chest with drawers has a horizontal rail at the top, center and bottom, to correspond to the location of the rails on the front; each rail has a band of horizontal, incised molding, painted black. Between the top and center rail is a panel with a boss in the center, flanked by octagonal molding that is painted red, and applied, black blocks of wood at the corners. Below the center rail is a half-height, vertical, stile flanked by a plain panel; this stile also has a band of vertical, incised molding, painted black. The plain, rectangular feet are formed from the corner stiles, which extend the full height of the case. Hardware includes a pair of cotter-pin hinges at the back edge of the lid. The top center of the chest and the till have key holes and locking mechanisms. There are three keys associated with the chest with drawers.
Condition: The top has been replaced; there are many scratches and two gouges on the top surface. The wood surrounding the right hinge has been replaced. The tops of all but one of the large spindles has been replaced; the smaller spindles have been repaired. Some of the bosses on the front have been repaired or replaced. The bottom edge of the back right foot has been repaired. A portion of the back left corner stile has been repaired. Numerous small repairs have been made to the drawers, to fill in missing wood. The chest with drawers has been refinished and repainted. The hardware is not original.
Design and Construction Details:
Case Construction. The cleats are nailed to the lid, both from the top and from the bottom. The chest 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 horizontal, rectangular panels of wood with chamfered edges. There is no bottom rail below the backboards. The side and bottom of the till fit into grooves in the interior sides of the chest. The top of the till is flat and has a shaped right edge; the top rotates on two tenons that slide into mortises in the right stiles. The bottom boards of the chest consists of three boards that extend front to back and are joined with a "V" joint. These boards have a chamfered edge, slide into a groove in the middle rail at the front and sides, and are nailed to the underside of the lowest rail at the back. There is no dust board below the lowest drawer.
Drawer Construction. The drawer divider is tenoned into the corner stiles and secured with wooden pins. The drawers are hung on runners that are nailed and fit into grooves in the front and back corner stiles. The drawer fronts are solid, with the applied decoration described above. The drawer sides have a wide groove, to accommodate the runner, and are nailed into lap joints on the corners of the front and back of the drawer. The bottom boards run side to side, have chamfered edges, and are nailed from below to the sides of the drawer. The sides, back and bottom of the drawers are formed of thick boards.
Condition: The top has been replaced; there are many scratches and two gouges on the top surface. The wood surrounding the right hinge has been replaced. The tops of all but one of the large spindles has been replaced; the smaller spindles have been repaired. Some of the bosses on the front have been repaired or replaced. The bottom edge of the back right foot has been repaired. A portion of the back left corner stile has been repaired. Numerous small repairs have been made to the drawers, to fill in missing wood. The chest with drawers has been refinished and repainted. The hardware is not original.
Design and Construction Details:
Case Construction. The cleats are nailed to the lid, both from the top and from the bottom. The chest 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 horizontal, rectangular panels of wood with chamfered edges. There is no bottom rail below the backboards. The side and bottom of the till fit into grooves in the interior sides of the chest. The top of the till is flat and has a shaped right edge; the top rotates on two tenons that slide into mortises in the right stiles. The bottom boards of the chest consists of three boards that extend front to back and are joined with a "V" joint. These boards have a chamfered edge, slide into a groove in the middle rail at the front and sides, and are nailed to the underside of the lowest rail at the back. There is no dust board below the lowest drawer.
Drawer Construction. The drawer divider is tenoned into the corner stiles and secured with wooden pins. The drawers are hung on runners that are nailed and fit into grooves in the front and back corner stiles. The drawer fronts are solid, with the applied decoration described above. The drawer sides have a wide groove, to accommodate the runner, and are nailed into lap joints on the corners of the front and back of the drawer. The bottom boards run side to side, have chamfered edges, and are nailed from below to the sides of the drawer. The sides, back and bottom of the drawers are formed of thick boards.
Status
Not on view
