Bay Colony Antiques is extremely proud to bring to market this fantastic 19th century antique Federal period pine lift top sugar chest. The chest is made from a high grade of Southern Yellow Pine with a vibrant rippling grain and a wonderful golden brown patina. The box has a two panel front and paneled sides decorated with shallow concentric ring carvings. Southern Yellow Pine is a trade term used for a number of different species of pine and was frequently used in 18th & 19th century cabinet shops in the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky, & Tennessee. Southern Yellow Pine is an extremely durable lumber that can withstand high amounts of moisture without rotting and it ages very well. What's great about this chest is that everybody can picture a Kentucky sugar chest in their head and one would usually envision a Cherry box, sometimes on frame, with a neat set of dovetails & usually a drawer or two. This chest was built for a more modest family yet still fit the same need. There are some other great primitive sugar chests out there but in terms of rarity we'll 100's of the others before we find another one comparable to this. The lift top opens to reveal a spacious split interior that would work well for wine bottles if you wanted to use this as a cellarette. The chest is in fantastic condition with our only notes being the lock was a later addition. This chest never took a lock because there's no evidence of a hasp ever being set on the lid. Our guess would be somebody had the idea to add a lock to their chest but didn't quite think it through because even when the lock tongue is thrown you could just lift up the top. When these did have locks, it would be a hook & hasp lock but those break all the time because of the moving parts & weak brass so you often see them removed anyways. A period lock was used and it was set in cleanly and the installer realized his mistake before cutting a slot in the lid for the lock tongue. The chest measures 30" wide x 17" deep x 32 3/4" tall. When the lid is flipped open the height is 49 1/4" tall.