High chest of drawers

American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 752

European artisans flocked to the British colonies and plied their knowledge of foreign fashions to suit the tastes of local patrons. This chest’s scrolled pediment with a figural finial bust resembles plates in The Gentlemen and Cabinet Maker’s Director (1754) by British craftsman Thomas Chippendale. Similarly, the serpent-and-swan motif on the bottom drawer is based on a design by London carver Thomas Johnson in A New Book of Ornaments (1762). As true of period portraiture, furnishings reveal colonists’ awareness of European trends. The owner of this chest would have neatly stowed their couture and household linens safely in its drawers.

High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American
High chest of drawers, Mahogany, mahogany veneer, yellow pine, yellow poplar, northern white cedar; brass, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.