Chest of drawers with doors, 1650–70
Made in Boston, Massachusetts
White oak, red oak, chestnut, eastern white pine, soft maple, probably American black walnut, cedar,
probably maple or cherry, beech, cedrela, snakewood, rosewood, lignum vitae, 48 7/8 x 45 3/8 x 23 5/8 in. (124.1 x 115.3 x 60 cm)
Mabel Brady Garvan Collection
1930.2109
This paneled chest of drawers, one of the most complex pieces of American seventeenth-century furniture, underscores the cosmopolitan character of Boston by the 1650s. Probably made in the shop of two English immigrants, in both style and construction it reflects the latest London fashions. The subtle color play on the architectural facade was achieved using different exotic woods for the turnings and veneers. The drawers were constructed using dovetail joints—the earliest known use of this technique in American furniture.
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