Tidewater Virginia, Probably Norfolk
Circa 1800 – 1810
Dimensions: xx” tall, 21 deep, 45 ½” wide.
Commentary: Although devastated by fire during the Revolutionary War which crippled its economy, Norfolk continued to be a regional cabinet making center well into the early nineteenth century. The majority of cabinet makers who resisted the temptation to move inland to Petersburg, Richmond or further continued and remained in Norfolk continued to produce fine furniture based on British styles and construction techniques. This chest of drawers can be associated with a larger group of chests from Norfolk that also feature a deep serpentine front, scalloped skirts along with canted corners with flared, French style bracket feet and side panels. (The MESDA denominated “Norfolk Canted Corner Group”.) Other common stylistic characteristics of the group include cockbeaded drawers, fine mahogany veneers, and ivory escutcheons. Although several chests from the group have inlay ornamentation, particularly on the flared feet, this chest has a single band of dark wood inlay around the base, reeded corners and a reeded top that conforms to the case.
Common construction details within this group include dust boards that terminate just short of the back, white pine as the predominate secondary wood, and horizontally laminated stacked foot blocks.
The Colonial Williamsburg Collection includes a chest of drawers from this group, as do the White House and MESDA.
Condition: The chest is in fine condition with wear and minor repairs commensurate with age and use. The foot blocking on one rear foot has been replaced but with the same horizontally laminated technique found on the original foot.
