A chest on chest, or double chest of drawers, made in Philadelphia c.1750 will be at auction at Freeman’s | Hindman, November 19, 2024. It presents a notable and perhaps unique decorative device – the tympanum board on either side and above the carved shell drawer is reduced in thickness from behind. A pierced design … Continue reading A Double Chest of Drawers
Woodworking
Whittling Down
The carving tools I've chosen to keep for future projects. This past week I laid out all my carving tools and did a first round of choosing a set of tools to keep for future carving projects. I suspect there may a be a smaller weeding out in a year or so. There are 73 … Continue reading Whittling Down
A Chest on Stand
Chest of drawers on stand. Delaware River Valley, possibly Philadelphia c. 1715. Black walnut, hard pine, Atlantic white cedar, brass, iron. The legs and stretchers of the stand are replaced. Wood caps at the corners and cock beading that would have been nailed to arch cutouts in the bottom rail are missing. Brass pulls and … Continue reading A Chest on Stand
A Venerated Armchair, Part 2
There are two other marks on the mid-eighteenth-century Philadelphia armchair in the previous post. The mark G. B. Wood can be found on the lower surface of both the front and rear seat rails. Brand "G. B. Wood" on the lower surface of the front seat rail. Christie's photograph. Brand "G. B. Wood" on the lower surface … Continue reading A Venerated Armchair, Part 2
A Venerated Armchair, Part 1
A black walnut compassed armchair made in Philadelphia c. 1755 was placed on loan earlier this year at Stenton Museum. Compassed armchair in a ground floor room at Stenton. Private collection. The reasons for the loan are varied and are touched upon in auction catalogue essays for related armchairs - including that for the armchair … Continue reading A Venerated Armchair, Part 1
In Proportion to the Trouble 