Chest of Drawers

Not on display

This object consists of 9 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Artist/Maker	Unknown (maker)
Place of origin	England (made)

Cabinet of five drawers, their fronts decorated in marquetry with flowering plants and birds. The stand also contains one long drawer similarly decorated, with six plain column-shaped legs, joined at the front and sides by curved stretchers and at the back by a straight stretcher. The drawers are fitted with metal lock escutcheons chased with the lion and unicorn. Handles have rose-shaped plates and pear-shaped drops.

Object details

Category	Furniture
Object type	Chest of drawers
Parts	This object consists of 9 parts. Base Drawer Drawer Drawer Drawer Drawer Drawer Keys Chest of Drawers
Materials and techniques	Walnut, with marquetry of various woods. Walnut Marquetry Chasing Joinery
Brief description	Chest of drawers on stand, English, late 17th century.
Physical description	Cabinet of five drawers, their fronts decorated in marquetry with flowering plants and birds. The stand also contains one long drawer similarly decorated, with six plain column-shaped legs, joined at the front and sides by curved stretchers and at the back by a straight stretcher. The drawers are fitted with metal lock escutcheons chased with the lion and unicorn. Handles have rose-shaped plates and pear-shaped drops.
Dimensions	Height: 128cm Width: 104cm Depth: 60cm Taken from departmental record (HWD): 4ft 2.5ins x 3ft 5ins x 1ft 11.5ins
Object history	Notes from R.P. 13/891M - Cave Offered by the owner, Mr E B Gilbert, of East Sheen for £50. Purchased on 2 April 1913 through Mr Gilbert's trustee, Mr Charles F. Cave (c/o Stevens & Co 184 & 186 Pentonville Rd., Kings Cross) under a marriage settlement, for £50. Condition is noted: "Damaged, several portions of inlay missing, 3 drawer pulls missing & 2 incomplete. The legs restored, the stretcher original". Minute of Inspection Notes, H Clifford Smith "the chest, which is on a stand, is decorated with floral marquetry of fine quality. It resembles in general form, the chest of drawers figured in Macquoid Vol.II, figs 47 & 48, but the legs on the stand instead of being, as is more usual spiral, are turned. The piece is one of unusual importance and dates from about 1670-80. There is no example of 'floral' marquetry precisely this type in the museum, nor a piece of furniture so decorated….its great merit…is that it has never been restored in any way". He further notes "this is unquestionably English work". Returned from longterm loan to National Maritime Museum April 1994 (RP 59/2679). It is subsequently purchased on 2 April 1913 through Mr Gilbert's trustee, Mr Charles F. Cave (c/o Stevens & Co 184 & 186 Pentonville Rd., Kings Cross) under a marriage settlement, for £50. Condition is noted "Damaged, several portions of inlay missing, 3 drawer pulls missing & 2 incomplete. The legs restored, the stretcher original".
Bibliographic references	CESCINSKY, Herbert & Ernest Gribble: Early English Furniture & Woodwork. Vols. II. (London, 1922), p. 282 -3. Helena Hayward, (Ed.), World Furniture. (London, 1965), p.34, fig. 85 H. Clifford Smith, Catalogue of English Furniture & Woodwork. Vol.II. - Late Tudor and Early Stuart (London 1930), cat. 320. plate 48 Books chests and desks of this kind (armariola), with lids set at an angle on which books might be laid whilst being read, are often represented in illuminated MSS, with St. Jerome or other Doctors of the Church, scribes at work, etc. Compare Laborde, 'Les MSS. à Peintures de la Cité de Dieu de St. Augustin,' 1909, pl. XCVII (1473), etc. A rare example of medieval domestic furniture. William H. Lewer and J. Charles Wall, The Church Chests of Essex (London, 1913), p.17, illustrated in a line drawing on p.18 'Similar receptacles for books may often be seen in ancient pictures of the studies of medieval scribes and limners...another of the fifteenth century in the Victoria and Albert Museum has a framed lid set at an angle on which books might be laid whilst being read.' DIETRICH, Gerhard: Schreibmöbel von Mittelalter zur Moderne. (Munich, 1986). Oliver Brackett (revised by H. Clifford Smith), English furniture illustrated. (Spring Books, London, nd). [Originally published under the title of An encyclopaedia of English furniture, London : E. Benn, 1927]
Collection	Furniture and Woodwork Collection
Accession number	W.33:2-1913

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Record created	March 2, 2005
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109809/chest-of-drawers-unknown/

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