lol, dull? I will SMITE you!!! Well, it is not real shiny no, dang Mart, this chest of drawers is over 300 years old! For an american piece, it's an incredible survivor. It is interesting because it represents the changes happening in american furniture at the beginning of the 18th century, the frame is riven oak and joined, the drawers are side hung, all pretty standard construction during the 17th century. What's different is, the front feet, the single dovetail on the drawers and the PAINT! long gone on this chest. This was america's first stab at the William & Mary style and the beginning of the end of joiners as the dominate furniture makers in america, from here on, cabinetmakers and the dovetail RULED!
There is only 1 chest of the 24 known that still has it's original paint, at the Brooklyn museum. The MET has a bird chest as well, when it was donated in 1909 from the Bolles collection, in Bolles notes he wrote "bird decorations" however, the Met refinished the chest and that was THAT! Pic's below are chest at Brooklyn & the MET.
