Early American Serpentine Chest, possibly Southern
Located in Richmond, VA
Early 18th century serpentine 3 drawer chest with quarter columns, original trunnel nails and
Poplar, Pine
$9,800
H 33.88 in W 38.75 in D 21.75 in
American Chippendale Birchwood Serpentine Chest of Drawers, circa 1770
Located in Shippensburg, PA
A very fine reverse-serpentine (also known as "Oxbow") chest of drawers from the Chippendale period
Brass
$2,625Sale Price|30% Off
H 33 in W 38 in D 21 in
Antique American Chippendale Serpentine Mahogany Bachelors Chest of Drawers 38"
Located in Dayton, OH
An American Chippendale Bachelor's Chest or Dresser. Made from mahogany with a rectangular
Brass
American Federal Serpentine Mahogany Commode
Located in Woodbury, CT
Serpentine case front, top front and sides. Oval inlaid medallion-centered top, of crotch and flame
Brass
Serpentine Eight-Drawer Black Dresser
Located in Bronx, NY
Wave front eight-drawer black dresser with nickel pulls, with miniature Klismos legs. The blue is the reflection of the sky.
Wood
19th Century American Serpentine Chest in Cherry with Inlay
Located in Atlanta, GA
An American serpentine chest in cherry with 3 sliding drawers, brass hardware and shaped apron. All
Brass
American Tiger Maple Serpentine-Front Chest
Located in Banner Elk, NC
Tiger maple serpentine front three drawer chest on bracket feet, American, ca. mid 19th century.
Maple
Sold
H 37 in W 42.5 in D 21 in
Antique American Empire Flamed Mahogany Serpentine Chest of Drawers or Dresser
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique American Empire flamed mahogany serpentine chest of drawers or dresser Mid-19th century
Mahogany
19th Century American Federal Serpentine Mahogany Chest of Drawers
Located in Nashville, TN
Handsome early to mid 19th century Serpentine front chest with four graduated drawers The drawer
Mahogany, Rosewood
Sold
H 37.8 in W 45.08 in D 19.3 in
Larger Serpentine Fronted Ralph Lauren American Hardwood Chest of Drawers
By Ralph Lauren
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to this lovely Ralph Lauren American mahogany serpentine fronted chest of drawers
Hardwood
Sold
H 38.19 in W 45.28 in D 19.1 in
Stunning Serpentine Fronted Ralph Lauren American Hardwood Chest of Drawers
By Ralph Lauren
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely Ralph Lauren American Mahogany serpentine fronted
Hardwood
Sold
H 50 in W 30 in D 17 in
Antique American Quartersawn Oak Serpentine Washstand Towel Bar Cabinet Commode
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique early American wash stand, dry sink or commode. Made of quartersawn oak featuring
Oak
Pair of Vintage Petite-Sized Serpentine Side Chests
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of vintage American serpentine side chests. These American chest of drawers each have a
Wood
Sold
H 31 in W 37 in D 18.5 in
Antique American Empire Flame Mahogany Serpentine Marble-Top Commode, c1860
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique American Empire commode offers shaped and beveled marble top surmounting flame mahogany
Marble
circa 1885-1915 Bench-Made Colonial Revival Serpentine Chest
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
A fine c.1885-1915 bench-made Colonial Revival serpentine chest. American. Solid mahogany with
Mahogany, Poplar
Keno Brothers Deco Style Four Drawer Serpentine Chest/ Commode
Located in New York, NY
A classic serpentine front maple veneer four drawer chest sitting on ogee feet with a glass drawer
Maple
American Chippendale Oxbow Serpentine Chest of Drawers, Massachusetts
Located in Shippensburg, PA
A rather striking chest of drawers, the oxbow is a particularly difficult form to master and added
Brass
Sold
H 33.5 in W 49 in D 23.5 in
Pair of John Widdicomb Shapely Serpentine Chest of Drawers, Circa 1960's
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of French-style serpentine chests from American furniture maker John Widdicomb, circa 1960's
Wood
Sold
H 58.5 in W 39.5 in D 20 in
Chinese Chippendale Serpentine Bow Front Flame Mahogany Tall Chest Dresser
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Chinese Chippendale Serpentine bow front flame mahogany tall chest dresser. Item features custom
Mahogany
American Serpentine Chest
Located in San Francisco, CA
A very beautiful American mahogany serpentine chest of drawers made just about 200 years ago.
Wood
American Serpentine Chest
Located in San Francisco, CA
A very elegant well figured mahogany serpentine chest of drawers made about 200 years ago. This
Wood
American Federal Serpentine Chest
Located in Norwalk, CT
Good example of a Massachusetts serpentine chest with line inlay and well formed ogee bracket feet.
Walnut, Satinwood
Late 18th Century American Serpentine Front Chest of Drawers
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
An elegant late 18th century American (possible Baltimore or Annapolis) mahogany chest of drawers
Mahogany
American 18th Century Reverse Serpentine Mahogany Chest of Drawers
Located in Great Barrington, MA
has three bold lines of inlay on the edge and is shaped to conform with the reverse serpentine shaped
Brass, Iron
Sold
H 32 in W 39.75 in D 20.5 in
American Federal Chippendale Cherry Chest of Drawers Reverse Serpentine Form
Located in Wells, ME
American Federal period reverse serpentine (oxbow) Chippendale solid cherry chest of four graduated
Cherry
18th C American Cherry Wood Commode
Located in Santa Rosa, CA
Great reverse serpentine American Chest of drawers in cherry.
Sold
H 37.5 in W 40.75 in D 21.5 in
Late 18th Century American Hepplewhite Mahogany Serpentine Chest of Drawers
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A handsome Federal period bureau in figured mahogany with string-inlay. The serpentine form is
Mahogany
Sold|$1,120
H 34 in W 17.75 in D 1 in
Antique 18th Century John Elliot & Sons Mahogany Chippendale Wall Vanity Mirror
By John Elliot & Sons
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique 18th century Chippendale wall mirror attributed to John Elliot & Sons of Philadelphia. Features a beveled frame accented with broad carved fret and a gilt inner edge. Dime...
Mirror, Mahogany
$1,050Sale Price|30% Off
H 30 in W 46 in D 21 in
Antique Victorian Eastlake Carved Walnut Burl Chest of Drawers Dresser 46"
Located in Dayton, OH
This gorgeous Victorian era dresser comes from the aesthetic period, circa 1880s. Made from walnut with three graduated drawers set between pronounced stiles with carved daisies over...
Brass
$1,575Sale Price|30% Off
H 41 in W 32 in D 16.5 in
Antique American Oak Farmhouse Kitchen Pantry Ice Box Refrigerator Bar Cabinet
Located in Dayton, OH
A beautiful early 1900s Ice Chest. Made oak with a stout rectangular frame featuring three doors, original brass hardware and paneled sides. Interior is enameled with two mesh shelve...
Oak
Sold|$1,295
H 66.5 in W 34 in D 18 in
Antique Victorian Oak Stepback Bookcase Bookshelf Hutch Cabinet 67"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Victorian stepback bookcase hutch. Made of oak featuring an upper bookshelf supported by lower stand on castors with two drawers and a cabinet. Dimensions: 18" x 34" x 66.5...
Brass
$945Sale Price|30% Off
H 68 in W 41 in D 19 in
Antique Victorian Crotch Walnut Chest Drawers Stepback Dresser Wishbone Mirror
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Victorian Era Stepback Dresser & Mirror, c. 1870s. Made from walnut with crotch walnut veneered drawer fronts. Features a wishbone swivel mirror over two gloveboxes and a ca...
Walnut
Antique 19th Century French Set of Four Copper Pans
Located in Suffolk, GB
Antique Victorian French set of four copper pans of circular form having a tempered copper base, iron handles with copper rivets and hanging holes. They are heavier than the average...
Copper
$2,520Sale Price|30% Off
H 89.25 in W 24 in D 46 in
Antique Early American Primitive Pine Farmhouse Corner Cabinet Cupboard 90"
Located in Dayton, OH
An antique early 19th century American primitive country farmhouse corner cabinet. Made of pine featuring a large 12 pane rolled glass arcaded door that opens to a blue painted inte...
Glass, Pine
$1,470Sale Price|30% Off
H 80 in W 46 in D 22 in
Antique Victorian Eastlake Walnut Burl Marble Top Dresser & Mirror Vanity Chest
Located in Dayton, OH
An American Victorian era dresser, circa 1880s. Made from walnut with a white marble top over four dovetailed drawers. Each drawer has a beautiful walnut burl veneer and ornate baro...
Walnut
English Victorian Chest Of Drawers with Gallery Back
Located in Faversham, GB
A beautiful low and wide mahogany chest of drawers with a gently moulded curved top with gallery back. Two short over two long graduating drawers with original handles below a moul...
Mahogany
Meissen Porcelain Dinnerware Service for 12 People
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Beautiful German Meissen dinnerware service for twelve people with serving pieces. The dinnerware service is in great condition. Just exquisite & very rare to find a complete service...
Gold
$45,000 / set
H 23 in W 17.5 in D 14 in
Large Pair of French Red Lacquer, Chinoiserie Decorated and Ormolu-Mounted Vases
Located in New York, NY
A large pair of antique French transitional period red lacquer, chinoiserie decorated ormolu-mounted vases with gilt bronze Rococo mounts. The vibrant color of these highly polished ...
Bronze
George II Mahogany Games Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
George II mahogany games table, 18th century. Having a rectangular top the front central area is recessed, a frieze drawer, resting on cabriole legs with acanthus carved knees termin...
Mahogany
19th Century English George III Mahogany Chest of Drawers
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is a good quality George III mahogany bachelors chest, having a leather lined brushing slide with two brass handles, above an arrangement of four graduated drawers each with...
Mahogany
$7,500
H 36.5 in W 45 in D 24.25 in
American Mahogany Bow Front Chest of Drawers with Fluted Quarter Columns C. 1840
Located in Charleston, SC
American Mahogany bow front chest with a carved molded edge top, four graduated drawers with the original brasses and escutcheons, flanking fluted quarter columns, and resting on the...
Brass
Antique 18th-Century English Oak Chest of Drawers
Located in Harderwijk, NL
Offered here is this beautiful antique 18th-century English oak chest of drawers with original details. This stunning antique English chest, crafted from oak in the 18th century, mak...
Wood
18th Century American Walnut Chest, Possibly Virginia
Located in Richmond, VA
Great American walnut chest on ogee bracket feet with graduated drawers and molded top with a nice warm mellow color and height good for a bedside chest. Probably from Virginia or Pe...
Walnut
Shopping for a commode or a chest of drawers?
Commode is the French term for a low chest of drawers, but it is also sometimes used to denote any case piece with a particularly intricate design. The commode dates to circa 1700 France, where it was used as an alternative to a taller cabinet piece so as to not obscure paneled, mirrored or tapestried walls. Coffers, or chests, which were large wooden boxes with hinged lids and sometimes stood on ball feet, preceded chests of drawers, a fashionable cabinet furnishing that garnered acclaim for its obvious storage potential and versatility. The term commode was also used to refer to a piece of bedroom furniture — a washstand or nightstand that contained a chamber pot.
As time passed, French and British furniture makers led the way in the production of chests of drawers, and features like the integration of bronze and ornamental pulls became commonplace. Antique French commodes in the Louis XV style were sometimes crafted in mahogany or walnut, while an Italian marble top added a sophisticated decorative flourish. This specific type of case piece grew in popularity in the years that followed.
So, what makes a chest of drawers different from a common dresser? Dressers are short, and chests of drawers are overall taller pieces of furniture that typically do not have room on the top for a mirror as most dressers do. Tallboys and highboys are variations of the dresser form. Some chests of drawers have one column of four to six long drawers or three long drawers in their bottom section that are topped by a cluster of small side-by-side drawers on the top. To further complicate things, we sometimes refer to particularly short chests of drawers as nightstands.
Even though chests of drawers are commonly thought of as bedroom furniture to store clothing, these are adaptable pieces. A chest of drawers can house important documents — think of your walnut Art Deco commode as an upgrade to your filing cabinet. Nestle your chest near your home’s front door to store coats and other outerwear, while the top can be a place to drop your handbag. Add some flair to your kitchen, where this lovable case piece can hold pots, pans and even cookbooks.
When shopping for the right chest of drawers for your home, there are a few key things to consider: What will you be storing in it? How big a chest will you need?
Speaking of size, don’t dream too big. If your space is on the smaller side, a more streamlined vintage mid-century modern chest of drawers, perhaps one designed by Paul McCobb or T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, may best suit your needs.
At 1stDibs, we make it easy to add style and storage to your home. Browse our collection of antique and vintage commodes and chests of drawers today.
Simple or sophisticated, equipped with console, cart or custom cabinetry, these stylish bar areas deserve a toast.
Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.
The furniture equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, it's the multifunctional piece you didn't know you needed.
Italian studio DimoreMilano mustered great ingenuity when crafting these sculptural shelves, which are built without any screws.
Leaping into a design project, whether it's refreshing the bedroom or redoing the whole house, can be overwhelming. Luckily, we know more than a few interior designers. You asked questions on Instagram, and now they're answering.
Introduced nearly 500 years ago, curiosity cabinets are finding new fans among today's collectors and designers.
In the hands of New York Heartwoods cofounder Megan Offner, unwanted local trees become works of design art.
From Brooklyn townhouses to Maine campgrounds, Trattie Davies and Jonathan Toews relish a challenge, like transforming a former warehouse space into the new 1stdibs Gallery.