SAPFM Museum Furniture Collection

High Chest of Drawers

Artist unknown (American, 18th century)

High Chest of Drawers, Artist unknown (American, 18th century), 1750–70, Mahogany with white pine, cedar, and brass
Maker
Artist unknown (American, 18th century)
Date
1750–70
Medium
Mahogany with white pine, cedar, and brass
Dimensions
153.7 × 67.3 × 36.5 cm (60 1/2 × 26 1/2 × 14 3/8 in.)
Form
Case Piece
Origin
Salem
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession
1987.11
Credit line
Purchased with funds provided by the Antiquarian Society through the Mrs. Edgar J. Uihlein Fund
Small-scale case furniture is rare. Too large to have served as a cabinetmaker's model and lacking locks on the drawers to protect valuables, the piece was made for use by a child. The high chest bears an 18th-century inscription in one of the small drawers that identifies it as the one in which the young owner, Sally King of Salem, kept her clothing. Born in Salem in 1783, Sally King was likely the second owner of the chest.
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