Bay Colony Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this fantastic 19th century Antique American Empire diminutive chest of drawers. The chest was made early in the period, CA 1820, and was likely made in Pennsylvania. The chest was made with beautiful cuts of Cherry & Curly Maple which were prevalent in the area and were two of the most popular native lumbers for early 19th century Pennsylvania cabinet makers. This would make a great collectibles chest or bedside stand because of its rare diminutive size. The chest has 5 drawers fitted with glass pulls and are flanked on either side by scrolled columns. The faces and paneled sides are Tiger Maple which provides a nice contrast against the warm Cherry. There are a few sapwood lines in the Cherry which results in the creamy pale-yellow color along the front edge of the top and one on both sides (top of left side, bottom of right). The majority of cabinet makers today will simply cut out the sapwood because it doesn’t take stain evenly and over time will lighten like this has. We’ve always loved the added depth & character it gives to the wood and early American cabinet makers didn’t seem to mind it either. For many early American cabinet makers imported lumber like Mahogany or Rosewood was too expensive for their market and wasn’t worth the steep sum when there was an abundance of native hardwoods like Cherry or Maple that were both durable and easy to work. The chest is in very good condition with our only notes being a few old shellac fills where the columns were refastened, minor surface wear, & some light scratches throughout the piece. Despite the minor surface wear, we wouldn’t recommend a refinishing as this is such a rare chest and the colors are absolutely beautiful. Even our own restorer who is a master finisher would have trouble replicating the color. The finish has developed a nice mellowed out patina over the years that can only be achieved after an extended period. The chest measures 20” wide x 16” deep x 31” tall.
