ENGLISH GRAIN-PAINTED CHEST OF DRAWERS WITH ORIGINAL WOODEN KNOBS

Circa 1850

39 7/8" H x 18 1/2" D x 35 5/8" W

A richly patinated grain-painted pine chest of drawers from the middle of the 19th century, this useful but also most striking case piece features a pair of drawers over three graduated drawers. Each is fitted with unusually bold turned wood knobs that have become silky and soft from nearly two hundred years of gentle handling. The drawers are all hand-dovetailed in the typical manner and feature a spotted ochre finish framed in applied moldings. The frame of the case is painted in a loose simulation of mahogany with vibrant flame-like grains moving through the boards. The entire case is raised over simple turned oblate spheroid bun feet.

Condition: Missing all but two backboards - these do not preclude the full active use of the chest and we can certainly have two boards fabricated upon request, though after extensive discussion we decided to keep it perfectly original rather than having replaced elements. Extensive wear and rubbing through the original grain-painted surface, more aggressively around the base moldings. Some shrinkage gaps, notable around the top moldings. No key.

ref. 503OPP23M