Chest of Drawers
1800–15
Medium
Mahogany, birch, and white pine
Dimensions
95.9 × 103.5 × 58.4 cm (37 3/4 × 40 3/4 × 23 in.)
Classification
case furniture
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
62553
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The serpentine form of the façade, the contrasting birch veneer in bold geometric patterns, the central drop pendant, and the beautifully curved French feet make this chest of drawers an outstanding example of 19th-century Portsmouth furniture. The top and sides of this chest have split in several places due to the typical Portsmouth construction that utilized nails to anchor the top and sides firmly to the core structure, thus preventing the natural expansion and contraction of the wood during ...