Antique Chest Of Drawers

CHESTS: MULE, DOWER OR COUNTER CHESTS
About 1630-1800
Late-17thC oak mule chest.
Alidded chest with one or two drawers added below. A transitional piece in the 17thC, marking the change from simple chest to full chest of drawers; a country piece in the 18thC.
Thought by some to have been used by tradesmen; many have a small till or partitioned area in the drawer(s), suitable for coins. Early inventories sometimes refer to the drawers themselves as ’tilles’.
Three, sometimes two, panels, with one long or two (occasionally three) short drawers
below. In 17thC often made in two sections, a projecting mitred moulding  echoing that on base  concealing the join. Can be very simple, resembling plain panelled coffers, or more sophisticated, with applied and/or
inlaid decoration. 18thC versions have fielded, and sometimes shaped, panels. Stile, bun or bracket feet according to date.
Oak, walnut, occasionally mahogany; elm, chestnut and other local woods (though few examples survive).
Framed and panelled; earliest with pegged, but most with glued, mortise-and-tenon joints. Early drawers rebated and nailed; later dovetailed and glued (see CHESTS OF DRAWERS: EARLY PANELLED OAK.
DECORATION AND HANDLES
Carving, inlay, applied mouldings in 17thC. Turned wooden knobs replaced by brass ball handles after 1700.
Stain; wax polish.
RELATIVE VALUES
Earliest and most decorative invariably in four figures; plain 18thC in three. Prices considerably reduced if stand is wrong.
For further details of all points see CHESTS OF DRAWERS: EARLY PANELLED OAK, P. 84 and CHESTS OF DRAWERS, VENEERED.
The term ‘dower’ is self-explanatory, but is also used to describe the 18thC chest of trunk form mounted on a low frame, with a flat or domed top, heavy brass carrying handles, a shaped and/or carved apron or frieze,
and cabriole, bracket or straight feet according to date. Imported Oriental lacquer trunks were often displayed in this way (on English-made stands) in the 18thC and 19thC.
Late 17th learly- 18thC leather bunk mounted on a stand.

CHESTS OR COFFERS
About 1200-1800
Typical 17thC three-panel carved oak chest.
Known as blanket chests in the 18thC, these were used for the storage of clothing and linen and, in the Middle Ages, other valuables too (hence their often elaborate, sometimes multiple locks). Originally placed at the end of the bed they sometimes doubled up as a seat or table. They were largely superseded in the mid-17thC by the more sophisticated chests of drawers. Surviving examples available for sale date mostly from the late-16thC onwards; earlier examples are rare except in churches or public collections.
Medieval forms included the dug-out, ark and clamp-fronted chests but most of those now available are:
Plank or ‘boarded’: Comprising six pieces of timber simply nailed together. Sides extend to the ground with V shape cut out to form feet. Usually carved decoration on front (and sometimes sides); simply carved border on sides of lid and vertical edges of front. Normally exterior plain, with square-plated iron lock with hinged hasp fastening. Although largely replaced around 1550 by panelled chests, boarded chests were still made in country areas in 18thC.
Joined/panelled: Made from about 1550, though panelled construction had been used in building since the previous century. Rectangular, with two, three (occasionally four) panels at front and back, one or two at sides. Lid flat, or panelled in line with base. Plain or moulded edges. Side stiles continue down to form legs. Nearly always carved decoration on front (often sides too), varying in extent; never carving on lid. Rails, stiles and muntins often moulded; sometimes chamfered around panels. Interior sometimes fitted with small, lidded, incorrectly named ‘candle box’, prob
ably to contain sweet-scented herbs.
On both types the underside of the lid was sometimes cross-battened.
Predominantly oak. Less durable woods such as elm, ash, chestnut and other local varieties also used, but few examples have survived. From about 1650 much ‘wainscot oak’ imported from Scandinavia (favoured for its fine, even grain) was used.
Cypress and (in the early-18thC) cedar occasionally used for their moth-repelling qualities.
Boarded: Front and back overlapping sides and pinned with iron nails. Timber split rather than sawn, hence no saw marks. Grain of sides runs top to bottom, other boards side to side. Should be some shrinkage along grain, probably some ‘bowing’ of lid. Rust stains on wood around nails. Lid fixed with large strap or small wire loop hinges (early chests often had pin hinges). The lockplate would also have been fixed with iron nails.
Chest fitted with strap hinges.
Panelled: Joined frame and panel construction; pegged mortise-and-tenon joints. Pegs of green willow (unlikely to split or shrink). Should be of irregular shape and size and protrude slightly above surface where surrounding wood has shrunk. Two rather than one peg per joint the norm in 17thC.
Dry panel construction (i.e. no glue) allows for shrinkage and movement of timber; panels therefore now slightly loose. Panels usually thinly cut, sometimes with chamfered edges to fit into grooves of frame.
Stiles always continue to top, the rails tenoning into their sides and muntins into rails.
The timber was either split or sawn: irregular saw marks therefore may be visible on under-sides.
On both types the interior should be ‘dust-dry’, i.e. with a smooth but not shiny surface. Recently sawn wood will have a slightly rough, splintery surface. There should be good patination from constant handling around the lock and front under-side of the lid. The under-sides of the feet will be worn and slightly ragged. Signs of repair to hinges and lock are not unusual.
Carving: Of many qualities; much simple chip-carving. Common motifs include Gothic tracery, roundels, arches, columns, Renaissance strapwork, guilloches, lunettes, lozenges, stylized foliage and flowers and arcading (the latter particularly on panels).
Some shallow ‘punched decoration’ punched on with a mallet and specially shaped metal tool  especially on boarded chests.
Motifs include stars, crescents, crosses, dots.
Sometimes inlay during 16thC and early
17thC, mostly of floral or geometric patterns.
NONESUCH CHESTS
The best known and most elaborately inlaid of these are Nonesuch (sometimes spelt Nonsuch) chests, believed to have been made by immigrant craftsmen working in Southwark. All depict views of Henry VIII’s Nonesuch Palace in Surrey which was demolished in 1670. Although intriguing and beautifully made, they are small in number, seldom for sale, and not typical of other chests of their day.
Originally stained and wax polished. Subsequent dry-rubbing has generally produced a good patina, i.e. a rich, dark colour, with a deep shine. Occasionally traces of paint are seen (especially on boarded chests). Although it is known that some early oak was painted probably all over in plain colours rather than finely decorated  the extent and exact procedure is yet to be fully researched.
VALUES
Plenty of variation; generally only boarded, simply chip-carved and completely plain panelled chests fail to reach the thousand mark. Plus points are: extensive vigorous carving (chip carving and punched decoration are at the bottom of the scale), no signs of repair or replacement parts, original locks and hinges, good, deep colour and patina.
Beware of large numbers of Continental chests imported for the ‘decorator’s’ market. Look at decoration and for any difference from standard methods of construction.
VICTORIAN ALTERATIONS
Some chests had additional carving executed in the 19thC when ‘Jacobean’ furniture was popular. Others were made up from old fragments of carving and discarded wall panelling. Check the construction; look for later and now discoloured staining intended to disguise new joints, and check all carving for inappropriate ornament, execution by different hands, and ‘mechanical’ appearance.
Below left, pin hinge; below light, wile hinge.

CHESTS  serpentine, 1770-1800
A fine quality serpentine mahogany chest with canted fluted corners, a slide and bracket feet. The handles are possibly original. 1770-1780
A Sheraton design mahogany serpentine chest featuring inlaid shell motifs and boxwood and ebony stringing lines. The plate handles may be original. Note the heavy bracket feet.
1780-1800
A mahogany serpentine chest of drawers without slide and with a narrower corner with fluting, on bracket feet. The drawers are cross-banded and the swan-neck handles are original. 1770-1790
A mahogany serpentine chest on splayed feet with inlaid boxwood. stringing lines and mahogany crossbanding. Note how the corners terminate in a sharp edge without a canted surface or decoration. The splayed feet follow the late eighteenth century designs of Hepplewhite. 1780-1800
CHESTS  dower, and trunks, on stands
A walnut chest on a more elaborate stand, with cabriole legs incorporating shell motifs and ball-and-claw feet. Carrying handles are again fitted. Legs and stands of this type were extensively reproduced between the wars. 1725-1735
A mahogany domed chest/trunk on a square fluted stand. Again the domed top affects the price as does the size and the stand which, despite the use of fluting to lighten up appearance, does nothing to disguise the bulk of the piece.

CHESTS  on cabriole leg stands, 1700-1750
A fine quality walnut veneered chest on cabriole leg stand, the legs have a scroll at the shoulder. The veneers on the drawer fronts are matched and the carcase edges around the drawers have double-D cross-grained mouldings. c.1720
The introduction of the cabriole leg meant that stands as well as chairs had to have the new fashion, which was unfortunate for chests are heavy, the cabriole form is not even as strong as turning and walnut is not the strongest of woods. Add to this the addiction of furniture beetles for solid walnut and it is not surprising that after 250 years of varied treatment many legs have broken. All stands should be carefully checked. Note that tops are not veneered.
A quality walnut chest on stand. It appears here with cabriole legs which have rather effete shells on the knee. The contrast between the heavy William and Mary chest and stand and the rather thin legs raises doubts. It would look a great deal happier with a turned leg stand supported by flat stretchers like 336.
c. 1715
A fine small solid walnut chest on stand with original brasses and a nicely shaped apron to the stand. The small slightly stumpy cabriole legs and the deep moulding at the join of chest and stand give it a pleasantly robust, country look. The drawer edges have an ovolo lip moulding. The walnut is heavy and dense-grained. Thought to be from the slow growing northern areas, possibly Cumbria. c.1730
An oak chest on stand incorporating a secretaire drawer. Note the well-proportioned legs ending in the typically English pad foot, and the elaborately scrolled apron to the stand. The drawers have a lip mould which overlaps the carcase edge and they are cross-banded with walnut. The secretaire interior is a very pleasant design with elegant applied pillars flanking the central door. 1730-1750
A good quality chest of well matched walnut veneers with good grain and pleasant ripple effect. The base is a bit heavy (can one see here the move towards the chest on chest). The legs are replacements and are of a design sometimes known as Hackney Road after the main area of their production. c. 1725

CHESTS  on turned stands
The distinction between chests on stands and chests which merely had bun feet to support them is that broadly speaking apart from the round holes for the buns at the four corners of the bottom of the chest, the former did not have veneered tops while the latter did. Our ancestors were shorter and it seems that as long as the chest had a stand which lifted it by about two feet or more there was no need to veneer the top. Chests with newly veneered tops are those which have either lost their stands altogether or have lost their feet (normally replaced by oversize buns) which exposes the top to view. Obviously chests on stands should have no bun holes. Clearly 337 (assuming the stand were original) would be much happier on the type of legs supporting 336. The thin flat stretchers should be veneered on the top and normally on the front edges. The same general rule applies for replacement legs as given for bureaux on stands, viz where stands or legs have been replaced, the value is reduced drastically, if badly done, by over 50%.
A marquetry chest on stand incorporating oyster veneers. The design is similar to 334 but the spirally-turned stand of five legs joined by a curved flat stretcher on bun feet is the more usual for this design, which is frequently found in figured walnut. The stand has a single drawer. Very often the turned legs may have been removed due to damage and the chest is modified to sit on bun feet.
A similar walnut chest on stand with ‘thumbnail’ top edge moulding and rather bulbous turned legs. Again a design frequently found without the turned legs and with the single drawer stand mounted on bun feet due to damage. Stand looks particularly suspect.
A large walnut chest with burr veneer mounted on a shaped stand showing typical ogee curves to the edge of the apron. The faceted legs look a little slender for the size of chest but the robust stretcher of elaborate design is veneered on the top surface with the same walnut burr veneer as the rest of the piece.
A simpler walnut chest on stand with matched veneers on the drawer fronts. There is a diagonal cross-band veneer to the drawers and double-D moulding to the carcase edges. The turned legs are perhaps a trifle heavy, with rather modern-looking tapered central sections.
A walnut chest on a stand which has lost its legs and been resettled on large bun feet. The difference in the figure of the walnut veneer of the chest, which is close-figured with plenty of curl, and the stand, which is straighter grained, leads to the conclusion that the chest and stand did not start out in life together.

CHESTS  bow-fronted mahogany, 1780 onwards
A late eighteenth century example with brushing slide showing fine use of the mahogany grain to provide the maximum decorative effect. Note the bottom moulding which soon disappeared, and the use of needed top moulding which started with Sheraton but came into wide use in Regency times. The splayed feet add to the value. Good original handles.
c. 1790Splay feet with apron, good ripple effect on the mahogany and brushing slide  all point towards Georgian quality. Only the flat D-shaped top moulding, which suggests a move towards the Victorian, and the lack of crossbanding detract.
c. 1820sA bow-fronted chest with slide, splayed feet and shaped apron. The top is cross-banded in satinwood. A fine quality piece.
1780-1800A small chest cross-banded with satinwood on the top and showing the flat fronted form of bow which appeared in Sheraton’s design book in 1793. (In another variant of the same form pillars are found superimposed on the ends.) Quite an elegant piece helped by the existence of a brushing slide but odd and untidy in that it lacks cockbeading to the edges of the drawers. Notice that all four examples on this page have long top drawers instead of two short ones.
1795-1810n But imagine satinwood crossbanding, original shells  writing
drawer, good polish etc.,
c. 1830s
A low bow-fronted chest with splayed feet, veneered in feather figured mahogany. Not a favourite type because it is too squat and out of proportion, almost as though a bottom drawer has been taken out.
A fairly plain mahogany veneered example. With splay feet at both front and back. It has a flat top moulding and Bramah locks. Quite elegant in a modest way.
A little wooden-knobbed chest on particularly Victorian bun feet with an almost flat moulding, not very exciting perhaps but it has two virtues  it is small and the maker made an effort with the grain of the wood. It will probably end up with a reeded moulding, apron and splay feet and oval brass handles. Why oval Because the knob holes are too near the drawer ends to put on round or octagonal; oval shaped handles will make them appear better spaced. Could end up looking better than 379.
A feather figured veneered mahogany chest on turned feet of good quality throughout and with good patination. With brass replacements handles could look very handsome, despite its height which traditionally counted against it.
c. 1850-1870

CHESTS  straight-fronted
An early mahogany chest. The top moulding is the simple half-round which together with the bold high bracket feet can be found on later walnut examples. Fine cut-out handles which could be original. With good patination a fine piece. c.1740-1750
A good quality mahogany chest with fine faded patination. Signs of quality are the recessed top moulding (made up of the Chippendale moulding with an additional curve below), the chamfered corners with a vertical bead decoration and stop end at the bottom, and the finely moulded ogee feet. c. 1760
Typical of a group of chests with Chippendale moulding, brushing slides and ogee feet of good quality
dense grained (though the photograph exaggerates it)    385 The recessed quarter-round fluted pillar, the use of mahogany. The best ones have reeded canted corners which    white stringing lines and strange little decorations at the help the price. Size of course is critical to price.    bottom suggest late eighteenth century provincial workmanship. c.1750-1760
A plain mahogany chest on typical mid-century bracket feet with original swan-neck handles; the drawers have cockbeading. A design which was used for oak and proportions.
Ivory inlay keyholes usually go with stamped brass plates.
c. 1760-1780A simple small well-faded mahogany chest with well-made splay feet and apron and the unusual feature of portrait brasses. The square flat moulding on the top with a simple crossbanding and black stringing line to emphasise it suggests a later date.mc. 1800
Well figured and with slightly stilted splay feet (compare with 388 below). The apron with the shaping repeated around the sides is a pleasing feature. Overall good quality reflected in the fine section mouldings.
c. 1780
As with the bow-fronted chests so here is a small late example which might ‘improve’. One can visualise an effort to turn it into 388. cockbeading, splay feet, apron, and flat moulding. Apart from the pine drawer linings (and maybe even pine sides) what will give it away is the ‘flash Alf’ use of the matching grain. Look at the preceding three pages and notice that in the rare case where a matched grain is used, as in 374, it is done with restraint. In any event the original buns will have left big round holes which will raise
question marks. It really ought to be appreciated in its own right.
Late 19th century In top showroom condition mahogany  sides and with brass handles
Rough condition and pine sides

CHESTS  Wellington
A walnut veneered Wellington chest with pleasantly curled figure of almost burr type.
c. 1855    Walnut 6Bird’s eye maple
An ebonised exhibition-style specimen chest with sophisticated inlaid decoration and a brass gallery round the top. It has ormolu mounts and reflects the rather grand exhibition styles of the mid-nineteenth century influenced by French designers. c. 1850
A plain oak Wellington chest similar to the previous example. c. 1855
The term Wellington chest is applied to those specimen chests having a hinged flap at the side which can be locked over the drawers to prevent them opening. Presumably the inference is that they can be taken on campaigns, but why Wellington, ingenious as he was, should be credited with them is a mystery. Perhaps it is really a generic name stemming from the war period, like Trafalgar and Waterloo.

CHESTS  bachelor
A really fine quality bachelor’s chest in veneered walnut with original handles and plates. Not simply content with the folding top which characterises these pieces, the cabinet maker has also fitted a brushing slide under the top. The short cabriole legs are unusual, but original. In short this piece has just about everything needed to give it maximum points for quality. c.1710
A solid mahogany bachelor’s chest with a flush moulding to the top edge. The drawers show the ovolo lip edge moulding; and the handles are probably original. The sides are unusual  going ’straight through’ to the ground with no bottom moulding and having feet shaped from the solid side. The front is treated more conventionally, with bracket feet and a moulding. Not a very good example of the specie. 1730-1750
An unusual veneered bachelor’s chest on cabinet with cupboard doors under the folding top and false drawers down the sides. Mid-18th century
A plain mahogany version with cock-beaded drawers and conventional bracket feet. The top is rather heavy and square and the handles are new. 1730-1750
The later equivalent  an unusual bachelor’s (or maiden’s) cabinet with folding top, fitted underneath with writing compartments. The false top drawer and real second one have black inlaid stringing lines. The square panelled doors house sliding mahogany tray shelves. 1800-1820

CHESTS AND CHESTS OF DRAWERS
Chests, often referred to as coffers, were very important until the mid-seventeenth century and were still made in quantity throughout the eighteenth century. They were about the only form of storage for most people.
The earliest form of chest was probably a hollowed-out tree trunk with a crude lid. By the thirteenth century, however, simple coffer-like chests with carved decoration and hinged lids, which could be locked, were in use. The solid sides reached the floor to act as feet. By the sixteenth century a joined frame construction with panels was used and the panels, and possibly the lid, were decorated with carving and inlays in the grander examples.
The later part of the seventeenth century saw the introduction of drawers, both in the base of the chest to make what are now called mule chests, and in the top to form a type of half chest and half cabinet construction. There would be one or two drawers in the top half of the piece and doors below enclosed either a cabinet or more drawers.
The drawers were first grooved in the thick sides to run on bearers fixed to the carcase frame inside the piece but after about 1660 the bottom runner, which required a bearer or lining below the drawer, was used.
After the use of carved and inlaid decoration up to about 1650, mitred geometrical mouldings and split balusters were applied to the chest for decoration and this type of chest is characteristic of the period 1650-1680. Sometimes carved decoration and inlays of holly, box, bone, ivory and mother-of-pearl were used, adding to the richness of the piece. It is interesting to note that mother-of-pearl and ivory of this type came to Britain in this period from the Netherlandish craftsmen who emulated their Spanish conquerors. The latter in their turn obtained such decoration from the Moors, who use it to this day.
With the use of walnut from about 1680 onwards, a lighter construction of a pine carcase was used, with pine or oak outer surfaces on which decorative veneers were laid. These chests were very often mounted on stands with twist-turned legs or legs of baluster and inverted cup-turned forms. Whereas earlier chests had carried the frame to the floor to form feet or, after about 1650, had used the turned `bun’ foot, these now started to give way to the bracket foot. The bracket foot is, of course, a design feature, not a
constructional one, since the weight of the chest is taken on an inner block on to which the outer bracket-shaped pieces are fixed. It is aesthetically more in sympathy with the square outline of the chest above it and enjoyed successful use on square chests up to the nineteenth century.
After the walnut period of 1680-1740, mahogany was used, in veneered or solid construction. The grander pieces of the famous designers, Adam, Chippendale, Hepplewhite and so on, showed greater varieties of design, with serpentine, bombe, bow and concave drawer fronts. Cabriole legs were used on finer pieces and the bracket foot was curved in serpentine form too. Hepplewhite’s designs showed the rather elegant splayed foot with its tapering curves, a most suitable design for serpentine and bow-fronted chests.
It is interesting to note that the fine semi-circular (or demi-lune, for Francophiles) satinwood commodes were a later eighteenth century innovation, appearing in Adam and Sheraton designs from about 1780 onwards. Before that the commodes featured by Chippendale and others followed somewhat French designs with scrolled or cabriole legs.
During this mid- and late-eighteenth century period not only mahogany was used for chest exteriors. Oak was used for country or provincial pieces, often cross-banded with mahogany.

From the start of the nineteenth century a gradual change started to take place in which heavier, classical designs came into use with darker decorations such as ebony stringing.Gradually the influence of mass-production began to make itself felt towards the middle of the century, with chests of drawers being turned out in large numbers and varying qualities for the bedrooms of the booming population. The feet became turned and rather bulbuous, then gave way to a flat apron around the chest which gives a heavier
appearance of a solid base with no feet at all. Nevertheless a variety of woods was used, from mahogany, rosewood and satinwood to burr walnut, maple and much pine or deal.
Oak for drawer linings called wainscot oak was imported from Scandinavia. The grain is even and well suited to making of panelling (hence wainscot) or drawers. One often finds that good quality chests are lined in oak and, moreover, that the better the piece the thinner the linings and the finer the dovetails. Thus a good quality marquetry or walnut chest could have oak linings of about 1/4ins. whereas a poor quality country example might have pine linings of double that thickness. Always look at the back of a drawer and the front
to make sure that any holes on the inside are accounted for on the outside, i.e. no reveneering has occurred. There is more faked or doctored walnut furniture in existence than almost any other English furniture.
Value Points:
Oak Period (up to 1690)
1973-1977 have seen an enormous boom in oak furniture
and although oak chests have not been in the forefront of it, they have followed it and many of the same value points which apply to other pieces apply also to chests. These are:
-Colour and patination
-Originality and lack of restoration
-Original handles
-Original feet
-Carving and decoration of high quality
-Walnut Period (1680-1740)
-Original stand to chest on stand
-Marquetry or parquetry
-Choice of veneers and figuring
-Patination and colour
-Original handles and keyplates
-Cross-grained mouldings
(We have assumed that pieces have an original, veneered top unless a high chest on stand or chest on chest which was above eye level. Beware reveneered tops or ‘top halves’ with newly veneered tops.)
-Veneered and cross-banded sides
(Country pieces have plain veneered sides or sides in plain oak or  less quality  plain pine.)
-Oak drawer linings
(Country chests lined in pine.)
-Original bracket or bun feet
-Size: 3ft. wide or less
-2ft. 9ins. wide or less
-2ft. 6ins. wide or less
-Quartered top
(The best walnut chests have a top veneered with four consecutive veneer sheets set contrapositionally so as to form a symmetrical pattern. Less quality pieces have only two sheets or a plain sheet or sheets not geometrically arranged on the top.)
`Feather’ or herring-bone inlay or crossbanding   Mahogany Period
-Choice of wood and figure
-Serpentine or bombe front
-Original handles and keyplates
-Decorative inlays
-Oak linings
-Colour and patination
-Size: as for walnut chests
-Brushing slide
-Nineteenth Century Chests
-Colour and patination
-Choice of veneers or figured woods
-Size: as for walnut period above
-Original handles or knobs
-Quality of construction