PROBABLY PHILADELPHIA, 1770-1800

A classical example of the Philadelphia Chippendale style, this chest-of-drawers bears a signature and contemporary date of 1798 that could refer to its maker, repairer and/or owner. Allen Clutch (d. 1855) is recorded as a cabinetmaker working in Warren County, Ohio prior to 1808 and his only appearance in the US Census places him in Wayne Township in the same locale for both 1809 and 1810 (see Jane Sikes Hageman, Ohio Furniture Makers, vol. 1, 1790 to 1845). He most likely moved to Ohio from the Philadelphia area has his wife, Rachel Austin (b. 1774), was from Evesham, New Jersey, located just sixteen miles from the Pennsylvania capitol. If Clutch did make this chest in 1798, it stands as a testament to the continued popularity of the Chippendale style well after the introduction of the new Federal aesthetic.