EARLY VIRGINIA CHEST OF DRAWERS
Mahogany
Yellow pine secondary
Signed “Akin”
Petersburg or Chesterfield County, Virginia
Circa 1780
37.5″ W x 19.5″ D x 31.75″ H
The layout, form, style and proportions of this chest are very much in the mainstream of Virginia chests produced from Norfolk to the Petersburg area in the 1770s and 1780s but it is notably smaller than many. The style and construction of the chest point to the influence of Norfolk cabinetmaker John Selden who had relocated to Blanford, near Petersburg, in 1776 following the buring of Norfolk and died shortly thereafter. Apparently born in eastern Virginia, by 1768 Selden had completed his apprenticeship with an unknown master and was established as a cabinetmaker with a clientele that included the Carters and Royal Governor. His furniture was overwhelmingly English in style, well-crafted and epitomizes the “neat and plain” characteristics preferred by tidewater gentry who continued to look to prefer London fashions.
The signature of “George Akin” on the underside of the top may be that of an early owner but is more likely one of the cabinetmakers (or apprentices) who built the chest. Research to date has produced no solid information on George Akin beyond an 1867 birth record in Chesterfield County identifying his parents as Joseph Akin (1742-1821) and Mary Ann Lockett (1743-1793). (Complicating research are the multiple spelling of Akin, Akins, Aken, Aikin, etc.) Assuming George was involved in the construction of the chest, he was likely related to carpenter James Akin (MESDA craftsman index 67923) who worked in Chesterfield County, Virginia 1758-1799 and took Thomas and Joseph Akin (George’s father?) as apprentices; or possibly William Akin ( MESDA craftsman index 67808) who also worked as a carpenter in Chesterfield County 1748-1765, While no direct link between Selden and the Akin family has been documented, the close proximity of their shops, relatively small number of cabinetmakers in the area and stylistic and construction similarities strongly suggest a relationship.
