Name/Title
Chest Of DrawersEntry/Object ID
85.2.2Description
Serpentine chest
Charleston, SC
c. 1770
Mahogany with mahogany veneer, red cedar and white pine
Top drawer fitted with Beau Brummel top - top of fittings shapeed with astragal.
Primary woods: Mahogany, mahogany veneer, light and dark wood inlay
Secondary woods: Red cedar in drawers, white pine drawer dividers.Collection
Historic Charleston Foundation CollectionMade/Created
Time Period
Chippendale StylePlace
Location
Charleston, South CarolinaLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
Chest of DrawersNomenclature Sub-Class
Storage & Display FurnitureNomenclature Class
FurnitureNomenclature Category
Category 02: FurnishingsOther Name
Serpentine Front Dressing ChestDimensions
Height
37-1/4 inWidth
49-1/2 inDepth
22 inDimension Notes
Depth at center: 23.5"; Depth (narrowest): 20.5"Location
Location
Room
304Building
Nathaniel Russell HouseMoved By
Westbrook DeliveriesDate
November 1, 2012Notes
Reason: Construction in house
Until: / /Location
Room
204Building
Nathaniel Russell HouseCategory
PermanentMoved By
SJDate
July 28, 2004Category
PermanentMoved By
SJDate
July 28, 2004Category
PermanentMoved By
SJDate
July 28, 2004Moved By
June HawkinsDate
June 25, 2002Notes
Until: / /Location
Room
204Building
Nathaniel Russell HouseMoved By
June HawkinsDate
June 25, 2002Notes
Until: / /Location
Room
204Building
Nathaniel Russell HouseCategory
PermanentRelationships
Related Publications
Notes
"The Cabinetmaker's of London: Book of Prices," London, 1793. Plate 20, Figure 1.
Documented by MESDA, 1/24/1979.Provenance
Notes
Last Owner: Acquired from Brilants auction of Harry Holmes estate in 1929, Charleston,
From (book):
Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts. "The regional arts of the early South: a sampling from the collection of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts"/John Bivins and Forsyth Alexader. Copyright 1991 by Old Salem.
Similar piece p.81: The early use of mahogany in Charleston, as well as the Low Country's eager acceptance of urban British style, is evident in this small chest of drawers. the top and drawer fronts are of what generally was known in the eighteenth century as "island"mahogany, now often known as "Cuban" although the material came from a number of hte Caribbean islands. The "island" wood is characterized by strong mineral streaking, whereas "bay" mahogany often was plain and unfigured. The bay in question was the Bay of Campeche, where Honduras mahogany was the primary export stable, the sides of this cest are made from that wood. Typical of Charleston chests of drawers is the lack of a rail above the upper drawer.General Notes
Note
Status: OK
Location Details1: 1Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
July 13, 1998Updated By
sferguson@historiccharleston.orgUpdate Date
May 24, 2023