Antique Chest Of Drawers

French maple musical Etui Case, Queen Anne Bureau Bookcase, Victorian mahogany shoe Snuff Box, Victorian birds-eye maple Work Box

A Regency tortoiseshell veneered and ivory banded Tea Caddy,  with silver-coloured metal monogram and stringing, the hinged cover revealing a pair of lidded divisions, on ball

feet, cm. wide. Ain.

A Regency tortoiseshell veneered Tea Caddy,  with a shaped front and two lidded divisions, on bun feet, faults, cm. wide. in.

A George III harewood and inlaid Tea Caddy,  the
hinged cover revealing a pair of lidded divisions, each inlaid with a carnation, veneers partially lacking, cm. wide. JAin.

A French maple musical Etui Case,  in the form of a miniature grand piano, the hinged cover with an ivory keyboard and revealing a mirror, tray and lined interior, together with

accessories and a compartment enclosing a mechanical musical action, on turned tapering legs, cm. long lVhin.

A George III mahogany Tea Caddy,  with lozenge and segmented veneers within a chequer banded and satinwood strung borders, the hinged cover revealing an inlaid conch-shell

medallion and six lidded canisters, with lion mask carrying handles and ball feet, cm. lft. Vin.

A Queen Anne scarlet lacquered and gilt miniature Bureau Bookcase, reconstructed, the double domed cornice above a pair of mirror doors enclosing adjustable shelves, the apron

with a pair of candle-slides, the fall revealing a stepped and fitted interior with a well, below are two short dummy drawers and two long real drawers, on bun feet, cm. high by

cm. wide. ft. by lft.

A WIIIiam IV rosewood Box,  the cube pattern rectangular top with a geometric border, cm. wide. in. and a French amboyna Tea Caddy,  with metal mounts and ebony mouldings,

bearing the label of Pelve Freres, cm. wide.

A Victorian rosewood two-
division Tea Caddy,  the
rectangular domed top with a boxwood
reserved mosaic castle bordered by
geometric bandings, the concave sides
with a broad band of floral mosaic, cm.
wide.

A Victorian birds-eye maple Work Box,  inlaid throughout with floral and geometric mosaic borders, the domed top with a sycamore reserved panel depicting a ruined abbey, cm.

wide. Win.

A Victorian framed Picture of the Pantiles,  the glazed panel within floral and geometric mosaic borders, cm. wide. Vin.
Cf. Edward H. and Eva R. Pinto, Tunbridgeware and Scottish Souvenir Woodware, plate .

A Victorian rosewood and floral mosaic Pin Cushion,  with tapered sides, cm. wide.  and a mosaic Sealing Wax Container,  of octagonal section, cm. long

A rosewood Ink Stand,
with a cut-glass bottle, the chamfered
base with a floral mosaic border, cm.
wide. in.

A Victorian mahogany shoe Snuff
Box,  with pique decoration,
cm. long Vin. and a Continental
carved hardwood miniature Clog, th
Century, .cm. long in.

A Regency tortoiseshell veneered
Tea Caddy,  of chamfered
rectangular outline, inlaid with pewter
and ivory stringing, the moulded top
revealing a twin-division interior, cm.
wide. Vin.

A George III partridgewood Tea
Caddy,  inlaid throughout
with boxwood stringing, the cavetto
moulded top revealing a twin division
interior, one gilt-metal foot detached, cm.
wide. Vnn.

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 OF DRAWERS - 1690-1720
A very fine oyster veneered chest of drawers on bun feet which are a bit small in proportion. Parquetry work of this kind, involving geometric designs made up from small oyster veneers, requires a high degree of skill. Note the ‘thumbnail’ top edge moulding and deep proportion. Just short of 2ft. in depth.
1690-1710
A marquetry chest of drawers in faded sycamore with panels of sharply contrasting woods. A very striking piece with the typical thumbnail moulding of the period. Marquetry in panels is associated with this earlier period, but perhaps even more desirable are the flower vases and buds in panels with green stained bone pieces inserted. Later the marquetry spread all over and gradually became thinner and rather effete. c. 1685
The classic profile of an early walnut chest  herring-bone crossbanding to the drawers, matched veneers, half-round or D cross-grained mouldings on the edges of the carcase front. The bun feet are replacements but of correct proportions. The top is quartered and cross-banded. Brasses later, keyholes original.
1700-1720
A laburnum parquetry veneer chest with inlaid boxwood stringing lines in typical patterns. Even the diamond shape inlaid in the sides is quite usual and is possibly a design left over from oak carving or applied moulding on much earlier chests. Bracket feet and walnut crossbanding are the other principal features. Handles are not original.
1700-1720
A burr yew chest on bracket feet, with boxwood banding to the drawers. The heavy top moulding is of cross-grained yew, as is the lighter bottom moulding, but the half-round on the edges of the carcase has been cut along the grain. Again, the handles are later. Price high because yew is expensive.
1700-1720
A country walnut chest with inlaid boxwood and ebony stringing lines in conventional patterns. The straight grained walnut of this more humble piece still matches. Note the original handles which are fixed through the drawer fronts with thin steel wire. The wire has often broken and been replaced by bands, but this is not very important. Buns are replacements. c.1710