American Blanket Chests

Ralph Cahoon Decorated Pine Two Drawer Blanket Chest with Family and Museum Provenance, mid 1930s, a late 18th or early 19th Century New England pine blanket chest with hinged rectangular lid above case, over two drawers with wooden knob pulls, raised on bracket feet, hand painted by famous Cape Cod artist Ralph Cahoon in the manner of Swedish folk art "Dalmalning." The decoration features colorful stylized figures, buildings and flowers in yellow reserves on a blue ground. The chest is inscribed "Alice and John" and was in fact a wedding present from Ralph to his sister Alice Cahoon Atwood. This chest is an early example of Ralph Cahoon's interest in the folk painting tradition from central Sweden, and appears to have preceded the stylized Pennsylvania Dutch Americana folk art he painted for his wife's family business. The piece remains in very good condition - structurally very sound, and the paint strong and bright, with a small amount of scuffs and scrape exposing the underlying primer. The chest became the property of Cape Cod antiques...