Chest of Drawers 1700 - 1730

This chest of drawers was made by an anonymous maker, and its construction speaks volumes about its time. Notice the deep, rich color of the wood, likely mahogany, a prized import during the colonial era. Mahogany wasn't just beautiful; it was durable and easy to work, which allowed for the creation of refined pieces like this. The construction involved skilled labor, from felling trees to milling the wood, shaping the drawers, and finally assembling the chest with precision. The maker would have been a highly trained artisan. The dovetail joints, the smooth finish, and the elegant brass hardware, all point to a high level of craftsmanship. This chest represents an interesting point in history, when furniture began to be mass-produced, but still retained the mark of individual skill. Objects like this invite us to consider the relationship between labor, materials, and aesthetics, and to move beyond the traditional art categories.