Chest of Drawers

Description

The serpentine form of the façade, the contrasting birch veneer in bold geometric patterns, the central drop pendant, and the beautifully curved French feet make this chest of drawers an outstanding example of 19th-century Portsmouth furniture. The top and sides of this chest have split in several places due to the typical Portsmouth construction that utilized nails to anchor the top and sides firmly to the core structure, thus preventing the natural expansion and contraction of the wood during changes in humidity. The chest retains its original stamped-brass hardware.

Provenance

J. Wentworth, (?); H. Eugene Bolles, Boston, to 1910; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1910; sold by them to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1948.

Chest of Drawers

Artist unknown

1800–15

Accession Number

62553

Medium

Mahogany, birch, and white pine

Dimensions

95.9 × 103.5 × 58.4 cm (37 3/4 × 40 3/4 × 23 in.)

Classification

case furniture

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by the Antiquarian Society