Antique Chippendale New Hampshire Maple Chest on Chest With Hidden Lock Feature

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With our absolute highest compliments Bay Colony Antiques takes the utmost pleasure in offering this exceptional and rare antique chest … Read more With our absolute highest compliments Bay Colony Antiques takes the utmost pleasure in offering this exceptional and rare antique chest on chest. In the late 18th century, any gentleman with the means to afford such a luxury would commission cabinet-makers to build them either a highboy or chest on chest depending on their preference. Traditional chests of drawers could only contain so much clothing at a time so these grander pieces were status symbols of wealth as much as perfect storage solutions. Our present offering is a remarkable surviving example having been made for a household in New Hampshire towards the end of the 18th century. This chest on chest represents the popular American Chippendale design which prevailed during this time both in the larger port cities and in the rural countryside.

The chest on chest consists of two sections and houses a total of ten thumb-molded drawers. The upper section has a wooden spring lock, also known as a "Dutch lock", fastened to the underside of the second long drawer panel that ingeniously prevents the drawer from opening without knowing how to work this secret feature. As the drawer slides out of the chest the wooden wedge fixed underneath the drawer panel collides with the rail between the drawers. To work the lock mechanism, the drawer beneath needs to slide forward and the user must reach up into the case and manually press the wooden latch upward so that it may clear the rail. Both cases retain all but two of the original locks with the lower drawers on the bottom case never having been fitted for locks. The drawers feature acorn embossed brass pulls that were added sometime later. The case and drawers feature dovetailed joinery and the original chamfered backboards and drawer panels. The base of the chest has a central rectangular panel and cupid's bow scrollwork on bracket feet typical of New Hampshire craftsmanship.

This chest on chest is primarily constructed with maple lumber along with chestnut and pine secondary woods. The upper chest consists of chestnut secondary wood and the lower chest primarily has pine secondary however there is no question that the same hand constructed both elements at the same moment during the late 18th century. Antiques made in country settings can often have a variety of regionally sourced woods used for drawer boxes and backboards as the lumber is typically found on site and used up based on availability instead of felling a whole new tree or ordering materials from a lumber mill. We note several small repairs, restored mid-molding, and separations brought on by seasonal expansion on the sides of the case. The chest on chest has wonderful naturally oxidized panels and hand-cut rosehead iron nails demonstrating centuries of undisturbed aging. The entire piece is in exceptional condition and will undoubtedly find a deserving home worthy of such an impressive and rare antique chest.

This chest measures 40" wide overall and 37 1/2" wide at the crown molding. The total depth measures 19 3/4" at the base and it stands 74 1/2" tall. See less