Fine American Pennsylvania Chippendale Cherry Tall Chest of Drawers c. 1790-1810
Located in Shippensburg, PA
The entirety of this fine tall chest of drawers is preserved in nearly untouched condition. All primary surfaces are crafted from cherry, this obscured beneath the highly oxidized and worn finish - the surface is very early, if not original with later touch ups. The molding is impressive with a double-cove stepping that allows it to project with an unusual stature over the delicate dentil molding wrapping around the sides and front. Deeply fluted Corinthian corner columns flank an impressive display of three small drawers over six graduated broad drawers. The three top drawers each have practical locking functions, a sprig set in a groove beneath each drawer that must be released from beneath in order to open. These are affixed with a single iron nail and still function flawlessly. Each drawer retains it's original Hepplewhite style ovular pulls and original stamped brass escutcheons with inverted corners, the lip of each drawer projecting in a soft curve.
The hand dovetailing is above average, the crispness of the pins above reproach - somewhat atypically, the back of the drawer dovetails onto the sides (versus the more typical alternative of the sides dovetailing onto the back and face), the sides of the drawer with a thin separate strip of poplar under the bottommost dovetail to create a groove for the deeply chamfered bottom to rest within. As poplar is infrequently a broad board, all drawer bottoms are two planks of solid poplar half-lapped in the center. The back edge of each drawer is tacked with a series of tiny square wooden pegs. Noteworthy in the case is the use of square wooden pegs in every facet of the construction - the backboards are affixed with generous rows of wooden pegging along the top, at each drawer level and along the bottom edge. Even the base, base molding, feet and interior blocking are all affixed with neat intervals of wooden pegging.
The case rests over bold ogee bracket feet with integral scrolling returns over thin blades. The feet are in fabulous condition, the case obviously not moved frequently or mistreated during movement - the feet are the most fragile part of these tall chests and are under a great deal of pressure, so acquiring a chest with nearly untouched feet is a rare and wonderful thing. The construction of the feet is above reproach, clean and effective in their support of this massive case. There is a possibility triangular supports one supplemented the corner blocking, as there is some oxidization mismatch set...
Category
18th Century and Earlier American Chippendale Antique Poplar Dressers