This bachelor's chest has an unusual drawer sequence and demonstrates the late 17th Century fashion for a single moulding around the drawer well, as opposed to the later fashion where it was used to decorate the drawer itself. The moulding runs up the sides and between the drawers but not above the top drawer or below the bottom drawer. Subsequently under William and Mary the double moulding on the carcase, was introduced, as can be seen on the writing-table, lot 260. However, as with many stylistic theories, some design features carried on after others had been introduced. (R.W. Symonds, English Furniture from Charles II to George II, London, 1929, pp. 36-37, Diagram 1.)
While the small ring handles with circular brass plates are typical of late 17th/early 18th Century furniture, although one might also expect a drop handle, the bold carrying-handles to either side, with their shaped and chamfered brass plates and loop handles are early 18th Century in design (R. Edwards, The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1964, p. 346 and N. Goodison, 'The Victoria and Albert Musuem's Collection of Metal-Work Pattern Books', Furniture History Society Journal, p. 26 and pl. 6.)