5/26/2023 0 Comments Susan silver![]() ![]() They are a much more elegant form of storage. Over the years the boards will darken from being exposed to the air and you might see some shrinkage. They should all be of one color or patination with the grain of the wood going in the same direction. The back of the chest will tell you if the back boards are original. The style of the handles will also tell you what period the chest is.Īntique furniture, especially the chest, will acquire a soft, warm, mellow patina or surface color which develops over the years with multiple waxing’s, fading from the sun, oxidation, age and wear. Is there a shadow on the front of the drawer where the handle is now? If so, that is an indication that different style handles were once there. If there are other holes next to the screws that hold the present handle in place, then the handles have been replaced at one time. Are the handles original? The way to tell is to look at the inside of the back of the drawer. If it’s mahogany most likely it was made in the latter part of the 18th century. If it’s walnut it was made in the early part of the 18th century. Does it look elegant or look awkward? Are the drawers graduated or all one size? Most chests are made of walnut or mahogany. I always like to look at the proportions of the chest first. There are many things to consider when buying an antique chest of drawers. Woods used were oak, walnut, mahogany, rosewood, satinwood, elm, pine, yew, birch and amboyna. It took such forms as a chest on stand, chest on chest, bachelors’ chests, the Wellington, campaign chests and commodes. New methods of construction made for more refinement different woods enriched visibility and made the piece more interesting and different types of chests evolved for different purposes. The English chest of drawers was fully developed by the beginning of the 18th century. The English based their chest design on the French bombe design, which bulges outward in front and on the sides and then curves back in at the base. The 17th century saw the rise in popularity of the chest of drawers. The drawer was invented probably because someone finally questioned why it was necessary to dig into the chest to get something from the bottom – thus, the drawer. ![]() Fast forward and the simple chest evolved into the chest of drawers around the end of the 16th century. We have to go back in time to ancient Egypt to find the earliest form of storage, the chest. I can’t name a room that you couldn’t place one in. ![]() Anywhere and everywhere! It must be the most practical and useful piece of storage. ![]()
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