19th Century American Country Empire Four-Drawer Chest

Details

Description

The country or provincial expression of the American Empire style has a directness and honesty that its more formal urban … Read more The country or provincial expression of the American Empire style has a directness and honesty that its more formal urban counterpart sometimes lacks, and this four-drawer chest is a persuasive example of that tradition. The form is straightforward — four uniform drawers of consistent depth beneath a flat overhanging top — with the Empire vocabulary expressed through turned bun feet at the front and paneled sides in dark-stained solid wood. The mahogany drawer fronts carry the decorative weight of the piece, each front displaying individual grain character. Two turned wooden knobs per drawer, spaced wide apart, complete each front alongside keyhole escutcheons.
The paneled side construction reflects the joinery tradition of American rural cabinetmaking — solid wood panels within a framed surround, a construction method that predates and runs parallel to the veneered surfaces of more urban production. The rear legs are plain square, a practical economy common in American country furniture where the visible front received the decorative attention and the rear was left in simpler form. Pine secondary wood on the back is consistent with American case furniture production of the period.
This is a chest made for use rather than display, and it carries that character honestly. The proportions are generous, the construction solid, and the mahogany drawer fronts bring warmth and figure to what is otherwise a deliberately restrained object. A piece that works in a bedroom, hallway, or any interior that responds to the honest utility of American country furniture.

Dimensions: 43w 18d 44h

Condition: age appropriate wear, vintage finish worn, scuffs/scratches, edge wear, discoloration, wood loss, interior marks, see photos. See less