Chest of Drawers
John Cogswell
1760–90
Medium
Mahogany with white pine
Dimensions
79.7 × 91.8 × 50.8 cm (31 3/8 × 36 1/8 × 20 in.)
Classification
case furniture
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
58399
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This serpentine-front bombé chest, one of only six known, is an exceptional example of this rare form, and it has retained its original finish and brasses. Though seemingly plain in design, the bombé chest was quite complicated and costly to produce because it took an excellent craftsman to curve the drawer sides, mahogany front, and the interior dovetail joints to match the swell of the case. While most American furniture forms were derived from European sources and were disseminated throughout...