A lovely, bow front chest with great inlay. The string inlay and kite keyhole escutcheon on the front of this chest really pops. However, it is the bookend match, mahogany drawer fronts that really grab the eye.When this piece was made, the cabinet maker used bookend matched pieces of mahogany veneer that have a distinctive stripe to them. The effect is so unusual that it actually overshadows the bold inlay. Together, the effect is gorgeous. Upon closer examination, one will note that the inlaid banding at the base continues on both sides of the chest. Furthermore, the top has some nice inlay as well. All of these are a bit more muted in color. This comes from the combination of primary woods and the staining that was required to make everything blend when it was made. In this particular case, the front of the chest is mahogany veneered but the sides and top appear to be beech or birch. This was a common combination in New England and it was done as a cost saving measure. Mahogany had to be imported. Meanwhile beech and birch were domestic and were easy to stain and blend with the mahogany coming out of Central America. Overall, this chest is a great size at 40 3/4″ wide, 21 5/8″ deep and 36″ tall. Believe it or not, this is a bit petite for a bow front chest. (They were originally used to store serving pieces like trays. Thus, they were usually quite large.) The feet are original and are splayed bracket feet. Hepplewhite. New England. Circa 1800.
Price: $3250
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