High Chest of Drawers c. 1735

Editor: Here we have a High Chest of Drawers, made around 1735. It’s an anonymous piece made of wood. What strikes me is the... authority it seems to project. I'm curious, what's your take on this? Curator: This piece isn't simply functional furniture; it embodies a complex narrative about status, colonialism, and gender roles of the 18th century. What do you notice about the materials and design choices? Editor: The wood has a rich, swirling pattern. And those curved legs seem pretty delicate. Curator: Exactly. Think about where that wood came from. Exotic materials were imported, often through exploitative colonial practices, to signal wealth and refined taste. And consider who commissioned this chest. Such displays of wealth solidified class and gender structures, relegating women to domestic roles within these luxurious spaces. Editor: So it's like a status symbol and kind of a… prison at the same time? Curator: Precisely. These chests often held items relating to the performance of domesticity. How does viewing this piece through a contemporary lens challenge its original intent, do you think? Editor: Now, seeing it that way, it makes me think about consumption, about who profits, even today, from such exotic commodities. I wouldn’t have considered this just by looking at it, you know, at first. Curator: That’s the power of contextualizing art. It’s about interrogating the power structures inherent in seemingly simple objects. Editor: I will never look at antique furniture the same way again. Thanks!