ANTIQUE CHIPPENDALE MAHOGANY BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS BLOCK-FRONT CHEST OF DRAWERS

With our absolute highest compliments Bay Colony Antiques takes the utmost pleasure in offering this exceptional early 19th century chest of drawers. We have had the privilege of owning numerous block-front formed chests throughout the past few generations of collecting and consider this particular example among the finest that we have ever offered. This chest is the product of a master cabinetmaker working in the city of Boston or somewhere else throughout Massachusetts. The traditional form of the block-front chest in this format has been produced since the mid-18th century, first in Boston and then those trained cabinetmakers brought the influence into New York and Philadelphia and then further south towards the end of the century. Throughout the 1970's and 1980's major institutions began driving up the prices of the first generation of these style of chests with the greatest amounts paid for early 1760's examples known to be made in the surrounding areas of Boston up to the North Shore of Massachusetts. The early period of Chippendale designed furniture in America commands significant amounts of money well beyond what any collector could ever afford which is why most examples are owned by public and private institutions. The chest of drawers we are now offering is an example made towards the end of the the first quarter of the 19th century about half a century after the form was originally produced. This era is distinguished often as "second period" as the case furniture manufactured is done to the same exacting standards as the previous generation and with the same premium quality materials and masterful construction techniques. Quite often even furniture scholars are confused into believing a particular piece to be made earlier in the period closer to the mid and late 18th century as these examples can be held up for comparison to an early period piece and found to be nearly identical in every way. It can take many years of collecting to understand just how to distinguish a chest made towards the 1820's-1830's from an earlier piece constructed fifty years before. We believe this chest of drawers to be the perfect piece for someone who loves the iconic early Chippendale style without wanting to pay well into the tens of thousands to own one. Since these out of period chests are so much more affordable and are nearly identical by comparison we have always tried to have one at a time in our collection because the earlier chests are far out of reach for most collectors and we have found a strong market for examples just under institutional level. This grade of furniture is recognized as "investment grade" as the value generally increases throughout time as major collectors volley up the prices of the preceding era of Chippendale case furniture. We have typically found examples of this form regularly in antique shops or circulating in auction sales of early American antiques however in the past two decades we have observed demand rise and availability become increasingly scarcer as many have remained in private collections. 

This chest of drawers is constructed with old growth mahogany and eastern white pine secondary wood utilized for the drawer panels and back boards which are also secured with centuries old hand cut rose head nails. The back of the chest and the underside of the case has oxidized naturally for the past two centuries and bares a wonderful rich patina only time can create. Each drawer face is fitted with exceptional brass Chippendale bat-wing pulls and backplates as well as escutcheon plates. The chest has a well formed and molded over hung top which projects over the block-front case and scrolled bracket feet. Every facet of this chest is constructed masterfully in the same manner as any of the examples that are presently on display in a fine museum or institution. We sincerely wish for this chest to find a home into a beautiful collection where it will be cared and safeguarded for the generations to come. The chest measures 34" wide x 18 1/2" deep x 30 3/4" tall.