The style of this chest, generally termed Queen Anne, was introduced into American furniture from England in the first half of the 18th century. Connecticut, however, was a bit behind the times, so this gracefully designed piece was probably made at the time of the Revolution, or slightly later. The chest also features some technical details typical of furniture from this region. It is made of cherry wood that was stained dark. Its surface was also patterned to look like the wood graining of mahogany, the expensive tropical wood that was used when pieces such as this were made in metropolitan centers like Boston or New York.

The Cleveland Museum of Art

High Chest of Drawers

America, Connecticut, 18th century

Description