Skip to main content
Questions & Answers
Our trusted network of 1stDibs sellers answer common questions

How do I identify an antique chest of drawers?

1 Answer
How do I identify an antique chest of drawers?
To identify an antique chest of drawers, look inside and beneath drawers and on the back and bottom for any type of maker's marking. Researching these marks using trusted online resources may allow you to determine who produced your chest and roughly date your piece. If your chest is at least 100 years old, it is an antique. Should you be unable to locate the maker's marks, look at the hardware. Rose head nails, one-piece cast brass pommels on the drawer handles and circular rather than hexagonal bolts may all indicate that a piece is an antique. Keep in mind that hardware may have been replaced at some point and that there are many reproductions of antique furnishings. As a result, you may wish to have a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer complete the identification process if you're unable to identify your chest via the maker's markings. Find a range of antique chests of drawers on 1stDibs.
1stDibs ExpertNovember 4, 2024
Shop for Commodes and Chests of Drawers on 1stDibs
Japanese Antique Black Drawer / Storage Tansu / 1868s / Wabi-Sabi Mingei
Located in Iwate-gun Shizukuishi-cho, Iwate Prefecture
This is an old Japanese drawer. The material is made of cedar, and the drawer has traces of "Meiji 1st year" (1868) written in ink at that time. Over time, black soot has turned in...
Category

Antique 1860s Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Iron

Japanese Antique Drawer Storage 1860s-1920s / Tansu Sideboard Wabisabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is an old drawer storage made in Japan. It is a historic piece of furniture made during the Meiji and Taisho periods (1860s-1920s). The material is cedar wood. The handles are m...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Iron

18th Century Italian Commode
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A beautiful 18th Century Italian Commode of great proportions with remains of its original paint. Lovely muted colours - a delightful piece! Circa 1770.
Category

Antique 18th Century Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Wood, Paint

Antique Genuine Swedish Original Gustavian Period Handmade Chest of Drawers
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique Swedish chest of drawers from the 1700s in gustavian style. The chest is a genuine Swedish gustavian furniture with four drawers made by hand in solid pine around 1790. Class...
Category

Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Pine

American Designer, Chests of Drawers, Wood, Brass, USA, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of brass and wood chests of drawers designed and produced in the US, c. 1940s. Dimensions: 33” H x 30.875” W x 18.4” D
Category

Vintage 1940s Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Brass

Jacques Quinet Leather Chest, France 1950's
Located in New York, NY
Leather-clad chest of drawers with four drawers, leather stitched details and brass hardware. Restored, original photos available.
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Brass

Shop All