1970's Sarreid Ltd. Attributed Brass Clad Chest

Details

Description

Quick Hits
- Brand/Maker: Sarreid Ltd. (attributed)
- Piece Name: Brass Clad Chest ("795 Brass Chest")
- Style: Hollywood Regency … Read more Quick Hits
- Brand/Maker: Sarreid Ltd. (attributed)
- Piece Name: Brass Clad Chest ("795 Brass Chest")
- Style: Hollywood Regency / Asian-influenced / Mid-Century Modern
- Materials: Wood wrapped in brass; lacquered black base; three functional drawers
- Era: 1970s
- Documentation: Paper inside marked "795 Brass Chest" included with original purchase
- Why We Love It: A wood chest clad entirely in brass on a lacquered black base — this is one of the most collectible expressions of 1970s American decorative furniture, and it's in good condition.

More About This Item
Short and sweet, a wood chest wrapped in brass, positioned on a lacquered black base, with three functional drawers. The combination of the brass cladding with the black lacquer base is pure 1970s design intelligence: two finishes that should not work together as beautifully as they do, one reading as warm and metallic, the other as cool and modern, the contrast making both more interesting than either would be alone.

Mid-century modern vibes coupled with the Asian influence — visible in the combination of brass surface and lacquer base — reflects the chinoiserie and Japanese design vocabulary that ran through much of Sarreid's work in this period. Sarreid Ltd., the Wilson, North Carolina-based manufacturer and importer, sourced and produced furniture and accessories that drew heavily from European and Asian decorative traditions, and their brass-clad pieces have become some of the most collected American decorative furniture of the 1970s.

A paper reading "795 Brass Chest" was located inside the chest upon purchase. Well-built, three functional drawers make this a usable storage piece as well as a decorative one.

Design Style
Hollywood Regency / Asian-influenced 1970s — the design register that Sarreid navigated so consistently and so well. Brass-clad furniture was the decade's premium decorative material expression, and the lacquered black base grounds the piece in the broader Hollywood Regency tradition of dramatic material contrasts. In current interiors, Sarreid brass pieces have moved firmly into collector territory — they appear regularly in design publications, in high-end vintage shops, and online at prices that reflect their increasing desirability.

Brand Legacy
Sarreid Ltd., founded in Wilson, North Carolina in 1964, built a remarkable business importing and producing furniture and decorative accessories that drew from Spanish, French, Asian, and other international design traditions. Their brass-clad pieces — chests, campaign-style furniture, and decorative accessories — have become the most actively collected segment of their output, sought by designers and collectors who recognize the quality of materials and the design intelligence behind the best Sarreid pieces. An attributed Sarreid brass chest in good condition with original documentation is a finding that serious decorative furniture collectors respond to immediately. See less