IMPORTANT 18TH CENTURY QUEEN ANNE PERIOD WALNUT SPICE CHEST WITH TOMBSTONE DOOR

HIGHLY IMPORTANT 18TH CENTURY QUEEN ANNE PERIOD WALNUT PENNSYLVANIA SPICE CHEST

Bay Colony Antiques take the most exceptional honor in offering you one of the very finest American Spice Chests in the world. A bold statement indeed but we pay extraordinarily close attention to every major American Furniture & Decorative Arts event that has transpired over the last 40 years. We possess one of the best research libraries in America that we have painstakingly assembled over our collective careers. We simply wouldn't make a statement we know to be incorrect. This spice chest descended through the Andrew & Jane Adams family of Pennsylvania. We were told that the Adams originally come from York but have received information from individuals claiming to be Adam's descendants that tell us these Adams came from Cheshire County, Pa. It employs the typically unique overbuilt construction of Queen Anne period case pieces from these regions of Pa. It has a very nicely fitted Nine drawer interior, exceptionally well carved tombstone door, original lock, carved quarter columns and pronounced crown. We note (and this has gotten past numerous experts) it possesses an expertly restored ogee bracket footed base. Almost every true Spice Chest we have encountered has this same restoration. These are 50 pound chests standing on relatively delicate legs that simply came off & lost over the last 275 years. Note the last 2 sold by Skinners in Massachusetts each realizing over $20,000 in recent history with an additional 25 % buyers premium on top of that base sale price. We obtained this through a Harrisburg area collector in a trade for some key items from our private collection. Many would argue its too powerful for eBay & we disagree having met some incredibly knowledgeable collectors right here. These days every major antique operation is selling via internet based platforms. Instead of using several for our own internet based offerings we focus our attention right here where each buyer & sellers enjoys a real sense of security. The party we obtained this form paid $50,000 for it in the late 1970's. As we are all painfully aware our currency no longer retains anywhere near that value. This individual purchased it through the Bradford family and it was found in one of their properties barns Circa 1910 located at Camp Hill. It was restored then and the work is a century old. Other than that we noted a tiny almost invisible splice on the top of the front edge of the lase. Its approximately 1/8' on an inch in thickness. The chest was no doubt knocked over in its century stay in a barn and the crest took a small ding that was addressed. We are now its 3rd owner since it was unearthed. The case is entirely dovetailed joined. It employs poplar secondary woods. Everything else is correct and original. In its center drawer it is inscribed "AA & JA" on each sides of that drawer. We will be delighted to document its provenance as we have received it. We sold several 100 items of the Bradford family collection about 3 years ago through our auction sales. We mention this as our compass of certainty as to its real history. Any true spice chest of this tier still realizes over 20k in the correct auction sale setting. We have put a true far below market valued price on this chest representing our investment in the items we exchanged it for. We love Pa period pieces but our passions lay in period Boston & Connecticut River Valley furniture. We have a lovely woman reserving a very important highboy for us that we desire more. This spice chest is 18 3/4" long, 11 1/4" wide and 25" tall.