Lot Essay
This low-chest with drawer relates to a small group of chests and chests of drawers ascribed to a cabinetmaking shop most likely in Boston, though posssibly in one of its outlying areas. These chests are characterised by riven stiles, rails and muntins, which generally, though not in all instances, are channel-molded as well. These chests usually have flattened ball-turned feet, though these appendages do not appear to have existed on the chest illustrated here. Cosmetically, the chests of this group are embellished across the front with three panels, all of which bear applied molded decoration and oftentimes paint decoration, and all have raised field-end panels as well. These low-chests were made both with and without a bottom hung drawer (for further information, see John B. and Marie-Teresa Vander Sande, "First Period Low Chests with Raised Field-End Panels," Tenth Annual Antiques Show Presented by the Newburyport Maritime Society to Benefit the Custom House Museum (Newburyport, 1989), pp. 19-23).
Of the fifteen low-chests comprising this group, five have ownership histories that suggest a common source. One low chest in a private collection has a firm history of ownership into the 17th century in the Marshfield-Scituate area; a second in the Rowley Historical Society has a history of ownership in a Watertown family, probably circa 1699; three low-chests in the Ipswich Historical Society were all donated by Ipswich residents whose families are all traceable in that town into the 17th century. The geographically disparate nature of these histories suggests a common source, and it is not unreasonable to conclude that these sophisticated forms may all have been originally purchased in Boston and subsequently brought to their respective destinations (Vander Sande, pp. 20-21).
Several of these low-chests are presently in museum collections. In addition to the examples sited above, these include one at Deerfield, illustrated and discussed in Fales, The Furniture of Historic Deerfield (New York, 1976), p. 179, fig. 376; a related three-panelled chest with drawer and turned feet in the collection of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities is illustrated and discussed in Jobe and Kaye, New England Furniture: The Colonial Era (Boston, 1984), pp. 120-123, fig. 7; a chest with drawer in the collection of the Rhode Island School of Design is illustrated and discussed in Kettel, The Pine Furniture of Early New England (New York, 1926); two chests with drawers are in the collection of Wadsworth Athenaeum and are illustrated in Nutting, Furniture Treasury vol. 1 and 2 combined (New York, 1976 ed.), figs. 53 (missing drawer) and 54; and a chest in the collection of the Connecticut Historical Society (Seymour Collection 25; cit. Jobe and Kaye, p. 122, fn. 2).
Of the fifteen low-chests comprising this group, five have ownership histories that suggest a common source. One low chest in a private collection has a firm history of ownership into the 17th century in the Marshfield-Scituate area; a second in the Rowley Historical Society has a history of ownership in a Watertown family, probably circa 1699; three low-chests in the Ipswich Historical Society were all donated by Ipswich residents whose families are all traceable in that town into the 17th century. The geographically disparate nature of these histories suggests a common source, and it is not unreasonable to conclude that these sophisticated forms may all have been originally purchased in Boston and subsequently brought to their respective destinations (Vander Sande, pp. 20-21).
Several of these low-chests are presently in museum collections. In addition to the examples sited above, these include one at Deerfield, illustrated and discussed in Fales, The Furniture of Historic Deerfield (New York, 1976), p. 179, fig. 376; a related three-panelled chest with drawer and turned feet in the collection of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities is illustrated and discussed in Jobe and Kaye, New England Furniture: The Colonial Era (Boston, 1984), pp. 120-123, fig. 7; a chest with drawer in the collection of the Rhode Island School of Design is illustrated and discussed in Kettel, The Pine Furniture of Early New England (New York, 1926); two chests with drawers are in the collection of Wadsworth Athenaeum and are illustrated in Nutting, Furniture Treasury vol. 1 and 2 combined (New York, 1976 ed.), figs. 53 (missing drawer) and 54; and a chest in the collection of the Connecticut Historical Society (Seymour Collection 25; cit. Jobe and Kaye, p. 122, fn. 2).