Seven-Drawer Tall Chest of Drawers

About the Item

Boston, Massachusetts Seven-drawer tall chest, circa 1825. Mahogany (secondary woods: mahogany, pine, and poplar) Measures: 45 5/8 in. high, 27 5/8 in. wide, 14 5/8 in. deep Inscribed (on six drawer locks): SECURE; (on seventh lock): CHUBB’S / PATENT / 57 St PAULS CHY / LONDON / CHUBB & SON / MAKERS TO / HER MAJESTY / 632284; (on one hinge): [BUR?] NE PATENT; (on master lock): 2 LEVER. Although some Boston furniture of the Neo-Classical period is elaborately decorated with ormolu mounts, brass moldings, and carved and gilded elements, other pieces are more simple and are said to reflect the “conservative” taste of many of Boston’s great families. The simplicity evident in these pieces is not an indication of a less-expensive line of furniture or a less-sophisticated patronage, but, like the so-called “Grecian Plain Style” of Duncan Phyfe’s furniture in the 1830s and into the 1840s, is instead a reflection of a new aesthetic which evolved from a parallel stylistic evolution among English and French cabinetmakers beginning in the late 1820s. Here, the focus is on the selection of the finest mahogany veneers, the grain of the wood becoming the principal decorative device. And if the added flourishes of ormolu and brass mounts have been forsaken, so have gilt-brass pulls, the seven drawers here equipped with original beautifully turned mahogany knobs, which are characteristic of Boston production of this period. As a form, the seven-drawer chest is a standard item among English and French cabinetmakers, both those working earlier and later, but it appears to be otherwise unknown among the production of Boston neoclassical cabinetmakers. In the present example, a vertical element on hinges running the full height at the right can be locked in order to secure the contents of all of the drawers, each of which is also supplied with its own lock. In typical Boston fashion, the secondary woods are largely mahogany, underlining the extraordinary quality of pieces such as this. In the year 1804, Charles Chubb started the firm of Chubb’s as ships ironmongers in Winchester, England. In 1818, Chubb and his younger brother Jeremiah founded the Chubb Company and opened a workshop for making locks on Temple Street in Wolverhampton, England. In 1820 they opened a shop at 57 Saint Paul’s Churchyard in London. The firm remained in business until 2003, when it was sold to United Technologies Corporation. Condition: Excellent. The mahogany surfaces have been cleaned and French polished over the remains of the original finish.

Dimensions:

Height: 45.75 in (116.21 cm)Width: 22.5 in (57.15 cm)Depth: 14.63 in (37.17 cm)

Style:

Neoclassical (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Mahogany

Place of Origin:

United States

Period:

1820-1829

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1825

Condition:

Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. CONDITION: Excellent. The mahogany surfaces have been cleaned and French polished over the remains of the original finish.

Seller Location:

New York, NY

Reference Number:

Seller: FAPG 20820D/21stDibs: LU90326654143

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