Featured John Bieber & the Edelweiss Chest

Alrighty then, a chest is coming to market that in the description said "Berks County, Pennsylvania painted pine dower chest, dated 1780, decorated in the manner of Bieber".
OK i thought, it's pine so it couldn't be a "real" Bieber chest because that family of joiners which owned a water powered sawmill in PA used tulip poplar almost exclusively in their furniture. Perhaps an antique chest painted recently in the style of Bieber?
Naturally i emailed seller asking about any details and or additional photos and received this reply back.
Condition Report –
Dower chest
Significant touch up to decoration, majority is a later overpaint. See attached images.

That's it i wondered? Geez thanks! don't strain yourself in giving construction details although i was happy they did give additional pics.
After examining the new photos i now think i have a handle on this chest, first off, it isn't pine, it's tulip poplar and two, i thought i had seen this chest before in a publication on Bieber several years ago. More on that in a min, as for now i am the high bidder however, if this chest is what i now think it is, that will change!

 

Gorgeous. Here's hoping you score a WIN with this!

 

Best of luck!

Wonderful piece!

 

And amazing what his great great grandson Justin did too, eh?

 

James, it IS absolutely GORGEOUS!!! But a question? It doesn't kill the value to have over-painted it?? Well, oops, TWO questions....is that metal support on the left side of the lid there because it NEEDS it??? I mean, IF it's 1780, not surprising that it might need support here and there....just a question!!

 

For those not familiar with Bieber, he is relatively new to the 18th century pennsylvania german paint decorated furniture world, indeed, in Monroe Fabian's 1978 ground breaking book "The Pennsylvania-German Decorated Chest", he is not even mentioned although one of his chests is photographed.
In any event, i found that article on John Bieber and a "new" discovered "Edelweiss" chest published in 2012, a few excerpts below
https://www.berksmontnews.com/news/...e67-5931-acf6-3172a53fd8dd.html#disqus_thread

". Jacob and son, John Bieber, had a water powered sawmill in the Oley Hills run by the Bieber creek soon after their patriarch, Johann Bieber immigrated here in 1744, with two other brothers. French Huguenot pioneers from Alsace, France, they settled with other Rhinelanders who spoke a Palatine German dialect in the Oley Hills which was near Lobachsville, founded by Peter Lobach in 1745, a fellow French Huguenot. Called the Alsatian Hills by their native countrymen who spoke mostly PA Dietsch, in America.
Jacob Bieber's son John followed with two twin flat hearts but included different variations of designs within each cheek or lobe of the large flat heart, many of which followed a geometric pattern, like hex signs or barn stars, since the Biebers were skilled joiners and sawers. But, on occasion, John, who favored flowers, would paint a dogwood flower in the center of each lobe of the flat heart. But herein lies the secret to this unusual 1780 Rhineland designed chest. Even though it had two enormous flat hearts with other geometric designs and compass arches highlighting the motif, the central figure of each lobe of the hearts was a noble black 'edelweiss' flower which was reminiscent of the Bieber's homeland in the Palatinate near Hirschland. One of their Rhineland ministers who crossed off Biebers on the church rolls as they sailed to America in disappointment crossed off several Bieber names, together, and in German wrote in the margin they have 'all gone' to America!
Thinking that John or Jacob Bieber made a mistake with his compass drawing of a perpendicular hex sign, we noticed that this unusual designed chest had six edelweiss flowers sprouting from three white flat hearts on each corner of the dower chest with the elaborate tulip shaped escutcheon design in the middle. They were not barn stars, but an edelweiss flower theme which spread their flower like petals standing upright in each cheek of the flat hearts! A native Rhineland symbol of love used by John Bieber in the 1780s on his dower chests. However true edelweiss star like flowers are white blooming high in the Swiss Alps. But Bieber alternated the colors of his edelweiss flower petals including red, white and blue for American on his later 1792 chests."

Black & White photo of chest in above article

 

After getting additional photographs, I am convinced both chests above, the one for sale now & the one in the 2012 article are the exact same chest.

 

Truly BEAUTIFUL ... LOVE IT !!! ... Joy.

 

BOY, I HOPE SO!!! otherwise i have NO CHANCE at this chest.
John Bieber, although unknown until very recently, i think holds the world record for a PA german paint decorated piece of furniture.
In 2010, this Bieber Schrank/Kas sold for almost 1 million USD

Metal support? I don't see any metal

 

LOL, KNEW it was commin!

Dear james,

Your absentee bid of 1100 on the lot 1138, Berks County, Pennsylvania painted dower chest has been outbid

 

I ABSOLUTELY could be wrong, James, but it's also on the image of the 2012 pictured chest......here's where I mean......and I'm sorry about what I just read above me!! Doesn't mean the end, though!!

 

Obviously, this chest HAS been ID'ed in fact as a Bieber chest and, over painted or not, i have no clue where this is going but, the trend ain't good for me!

 

Hard to tell but, i don't think metal. More likely a "breadboard" end that is separating a bit. I enlarged that area below

 

And here it is on the 2012 image.....looks like it was blended somehow and doesn't go ALL the way down the side though, too!! There's a small 'jut' where I mean.....the image was blurry to begin with......

 

It's ALL OK with me! Just wanted to point out what I saw!! And I have NO clue what they might have used to maybe strengthen it...you'd most likely know better than I!!! AND still good luck with it!!!

 

Yeah, tough trying to figure out what's what with photos alone and old furniture but i'd guess on that end it has a "breadboard" end that has some issues.
Here is a table i have that illustrates what a breadboard end is/does, it helps keep a wide board from cupping and also gives edge a finished look.

 

I 'get' the breadboard end....have numerous antique ones, just don't get that support.........

 

NEVERMIND all that! It's a 250 year old chest and we will stipulate it has some issues, PAINT for 1 thing!
THE QUESTION IS, how many dollars?

 

Ah, up that bid! It's only money!!

 

Another Bieber chest.....