ATTRIBUTED TO ELIJAH SANDERSON (1752-1825), SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, 1770-1790

Demonstrating a serpentine facade, richly figured mahogany grain, canted corners and triple-faceted bracket feet, this chest-of-drawers closely relates to a chest branded E.S., believed to refer to Salem cabinetmaker Elijah Sanderson (1752-1825) (see Kirk, Early American Furniture (New York, 1970), p. 21, no. 7). The attribution to Sanderson is strengthened by an invoice from the cabinetmaker dated from 1803 that states that finished pieces by his hand are "marked with a brand ES on the back" (Ketchum, American Cabinetmakers (New York, 1995), p. 294).