Antique Chest Of Drawers

EUROPEAN CHESTS About 1450 to 1600
Late-15thC french chest decorated with tracery and other Gothic Ornaments.
Late Gothic persists in Northern Europe, but is gradually influenced by the Renaissance in Italy where, from the late 15thC, classical Roman shapes and decorative features are reintroduced.
Oak in France, northern Germany, the Netherlands; pine and fir in Scandinavia; walnut, cypress in Italy; walnut, oak, chestnut in Spain; various fruitwoods where grown. Gesso (plaster hardened with size). Iron hinges, carrying handles, locks and keys.
Panelled: Framework mortised and tenoned, secured with pegs, rebated to receive panels bevelled at edges and fitted to allow play for unequal expansion and contraction, thus minimizing warping and splitting. Lids either panelled or flush planks nailed to cross-members.
Housed: Lighter versions of this method
(see CHESTS, p. 235) continued to be used in many areas.
Curvilinear: From late 15thC, some Italian cassoni (chests), imitating Roman sarcophagi, were built up sectionally and shaped to curved outline, leaving joins to be covered with gesso.
Late Gothic, Northern Europe: Panels carved with pointed arches, tracery, animals, foliage, linenfold (see BEDS, P. 198).
Renaissance: In Italy, some carving, more painting in tempera and gilding on gesso ground of biblical subjects and scenes from classical mythology. Gifted artists employed on decoration of marriage chests, often made in pairs from about 1470, when intarsia – inlay depicting architecture and still life groups –was also used. In the 16thC, intarsia was practised in the Netherlands (Antwerp) and Germany (Augsburg and Nuremberg). In Spain and Portugal – both immensely rich in the 16thC – chests were lavishly decorated with
carving and inlaid abstract patterns derived from Moorish sources. France and Burgundy adopted an Italianate style in the early 16thC (Franсois I). Mannerist (late Renaissance) elements, grotesque masks, elongated figures and ‘Romayne work’ – heads of men and women in carved medallions – were popular.
Painting on gesso and directly on to wood. Oiling, waxing, varnishing; much woodwork in Northern Europe left in natural state.
Many 16thC chests still survive and can be bought at prices that are modest in comparison with those of later pieces. Beware of 19thC fakes of painted Italian cassoni.
Panel rebated into mortised and tenoned frame.

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: EARLY PANELLED OAK
About 1650-1730
Oak chest of about 1680, with applied, mitred and geometrical mouldings.
Distinctive, often ornamental, pieces of furniture made by traditional methods. Still produced by provincial and country makers long after more sophisticated walnut-veneered chests were introduced from the Continent in about 1670.
Various combinations of single and double depth drawers, cupboard doors enclosing drawers, and chest with hinged lid (latter early type). Four-drawer version became the norm in about 1680.
Sometimes two separate sections, join concealed by projecting mitred moulding. Shallower mouldings are found between all drawers (or cupboard).
Two small, or one long, drawer(s) at top above three long, inside seldom reaching right to back of carcase. Separate overhanging top with moulding below (thumb-nail moulding from about 1700). Similar inverted moulding at base. All parts of front (and sometimes side frieze) decorated with mitred mouldings, and often split turnings too, sometimes combined with inlay. Drawer fronts divided decoratively into two panels. Stile feet (i.e. the stiles of the carcase extend below the base moulding) until about 1690 when bun feet appeared.
Framed and panelled with glued (i.e. no longer pegged) joints.
Early drawers with thick sides (about 3/4 inch/2 cm) rebated and nailed. Thick groove in middle of side cut to run on bearers nailed to inside of carcase. Two or three crude through-dovetails (see illustration), their ends concealed on the front by mouldings, introduced about 1680, sometimes nailed for extra strength. By 1690-1700 dovetails lapped (i.e. no longer passed right through to the front) (see illustration). Linings now rebated and glued. Grain of drawers runs front to back.
Single dovetail joint
Front of drawer rebated for sides and bottom, side rebated for runner.
Oak (mostly imported Scandinavian ‘wainscot’ oak). Elm, yew and other local woods used, but few examples survive.
Ebony, ivory, bone and mother-of-pearl for inlaid decoration.
Drawer dovetail joint.
Oak chest of drawers, about 1680.
Alternative drawer supports introduced about 1660 (but not universally adopted) whereby bottom runner fixed to under side of drawer edge ran on bearer fixed at appropriate height. Drawer sides correspondingly thinner, about ‘/2 inch/I cm. Dustboards (i.e. solid shelves between the drawers) often replaced or combined with bearers after 1680.
All moulded and turned decoration glued on. Nailed rough, planked oak backboards. Bun feet dowelled in holes drilled in underside of carcase base (visible inside). Handles attached by split-pin (or tang) method.
Carcase of framed oak chest with panelled ends.
For authenticity, look for signs of genuine wear  especially on drawers and runners and natural movement of the wood with slight warping and shrinkage along the grain.
Underside of feet will be slightly frayed and the drawer fronts will have light indentations from constant knocking of pendant handles.
Applied mitred architectural mouldings on drawer fronts; on the simplest, around the edge only, on many, all over. Split turnings arranged in pairs common on stiles, until about 1680 sometimes combined with inlay of ebony, ivory, bone and moth e r-of- pear, 4. patterns of Spanish/Moorish origin (fashion introduced from Holland).
Handles: Earliest versions have exterior turned wooden knobs, interior iron loop handles. Later, iron (or brass towards 1700) drop handles, pear-shaped with decorative rosettes.
Also, centrally placed decorative escutcheons.
Often stained with oils coloured with various plant substances; then polished with beeswax softened with spirit.
VALUES
In the past, of limited appeal; more recently popular with decorators for ‘bold’ interiors.
Those with inlay and plenty of moulded and split-turned decoration four or five times as much as those with only edge mouldings to drawers. Only the latter still in three figures.
Exterior handles
Pear-drop, Axedrop, Pear-shape drop, about 1700.
Interior handles