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Photo: Courtesy Sotheby's, New York
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Chest of drawers

Object number

RIF198

Maker

Maker Unknown

Dimensions

42 1/2 × 38 × 18 in. (107.95 × 96.52 × 45.72 cm)

Date

1700–1720

Current location

Unknown

Geography

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

Medium

Maple (primary); yellow pine (drawer linings, bottom board, and back)

Marks

None

Inscriptions

None

Provenance

Sotheby's, New York, January 15, 16 and 18, 2004, lot 573

Associated names

Sotheby's

Construction

The three piece horizontal back boards are nailed to rabbets in the case sides and top and to the back edge of the case bottom. The case bottom is dovetailed to the sides; the joint of the front rail and the case bottom is reinforced with glue blocks. The feet are attached to square blocks glued to the case bottom and the turned tops of the feet extend through the blocks into the case bottom. The grain of the wood on the drawer bottoms runs side to side; the bottoms are chamfered to fit in a groove in the drawer fronts and are nailed to the other three sides; runners are added to the undersides of the drawer sides. The rear dovetails extend beyond the drawer backs.

Bibliography

Sotheby's, New York, Important Americana, sale cat. (January 15–16, 18, 2004), 300, lot 573, ill.
"American Art at Sotheby's—Session Three," Antiques and the Arts Weekly (February 13, 2004): 38, ill.