With our absolute highest compliments Bay Colony Antiques takes the utmost pleasure in offering perhaps one of the finest Queen Anne blanket chests that we have ever had the privilege of owning. Our passion for important Queen Anne period furniture from Pennsylvania and the mid-atlantic states comes from decades of wonderful experiences dealing with passionate collectors of the most significant regional antiques associated with their respective communities. We routinely furnish homes throughout Pennsylvania and the neighboring states and always try to maintain a collection of appropriate 18th century household furniture and antique objects so that even the most discerning of collectors may look through our catalogue and enjoy what they see. In our studies of the market and localized histories of Pennsylvania we have come to love anything associated with the area and we see ourselves as equal parts dealers and collectors of this treasured history.
This Pennsylvania walnut Queen Anne blanket chest is perhaps one of the finest that we have ever owned. In the past we have owned significant chests associated with Adams County, Berks County, Chester County, York County just to name several historical counties of Pennsylvania and we fondly look at this blanket chest as one of the finest to ever come into our possession. The entire piece is constructed from a premium grade of walnut which is very indicative of case furniture built in the eastern Pennsylvania region with characteristics of grain quality and a warmth brought on from a rich patina that other regional chests simply do not possess. One of the strongest attributes of case furniture manufactured in this region of Pennsylvania is what we refer to as "over engineered" case construction which means that not only did the cabinet maker use masterful hand cut joinery techniques to construct the cabinet but the individual went to the extreme of intricately dovetailing the entire case with large pronounced and exuberant dovetails while also employing brilliant mortise and tenon joints to the molded edges of the walnut top which have kept this chest straight and true throughout the centuries. Proudly formed pegs can be found all around the perimeter of the top which add rich character to this masterfully joined chest. The top is fastened by two exceptional iron strap hinges which when shaped in this fashion are referred to as "rat-tail" style based on the shape and design pattern. The interior reveals a generous storage cavity and an additional candle till which has a hinged top that allows the owner to prop open the top of the entire chest by allowing the walnut top to lean onto the candle till top for support. We note a few professional "butterfly keys" or "dutchmen" as they were once referred to were installed underneath the top which counteracts the seasonal changes in humidity which can cause an antique to warp or develop age related splits. This is what we consider maintenance and it is far more beneficial for the prolonged life of this chest to have them there as they will prevent any chance of humidity related changes from occurring for the indefinite future. Below the storage cavity are two well functioning dovetailed drawers that are each fitted with original hand cut stylized Chippendale bat-wing patterned brasses which hardly ever survive. The chest is supported on four finely scrolled bracket feet and the underside and back of the blanket chest demonstrate considerable age with the secondary wood developing beautiful oxidation and character throughout this chests considerable lifespan. We have no doubt that this exceptional antique will one day be cherished in a deserving home and until then it will remain our privilege to own and enjoy this masterpiece of early American history. The chest measures 49 1/4" wide x 23 1/4" deep x 26 1/4" tall. The inner cavity measures 45 1/2" wide x 20" deep x 12 1/2" tall, and when the lid is fully open the height is 48" tall.
