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Photo: Courtesy Northeast Auctions, Hampton and Portsmouth, N.H.
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Tall chest of drawers

Object number

RIF3390

Maker

Maker Unknown

Dimensions

51 × 36 × 19 in. (129.54 × 91.44 × 48.26 cm)

Date

1770–90

Current location

Unknown

Geography

Made in Rhode Island
(view a map of Rhode Island)

Medium

Maple (primary); chestnut (drawer linings), white pine (bottom board)

Inscriptions

A vertical stripe, in chalk, on exterior of backs of top three full-width drawers

Provenance

Northeast Auctions, Hampton and Portsmouth, New Hampshire (sale held Manchester, New Hampshire), August 3–5, 2007, lot 990

Associated names

Northeast Auctions

Construction

The brasses, feet, and base moldings are replaced. The bottom edges of most drawers are replaced. The drawer supports were attached with rosehead nails and have been flipped. The small drawers have touch latches on the undersides of the drawer bottoms. Half-blind dovetails with half pins top and bottom fasten the drawer fronts to the sides. The top edges of the drawer sides are rounded; the top edges of the drawer backs are chamfered. The drawer bottoms are chamfered and let into grooves in the front and sides. The top is comprised of two boards. The cornice molding is nailed from the exterior with t-headed nails. The case sides are comprised of three boards. Half-blind dovetails attach the drawer dividers to the case sides. The top and bottom rails fit in grooves in the case sides. The muntin between the two small drawers extends through the drawer support below it with a dovetail. The three horizontal backboards are half lapped together and fit in rabbets in the case sides. Examined by P. E. Kane and W. S. Braznell, August 1, 2007.

Bibliography

Northeast Auctions, Hampton and Portsmouth, N.H., Summer Americana Auction, sale cat. (August 3–5, 2007), 36, lot 990.