Greetings Folks... and Pennsylvania wedding chest or coffer,carved applied decor dated 1750

Been a collector of antiques and such for years, and still learning all the time -although I like to think I have narrowed it down a little over the years. Have a website but rarely sell anymore, just collect and enjoy learning about the stuff in my collection. www.davidrehunt.com

My first piece is the remains of a what appears to be a Pennsylvania Dutch chest or coffer. It's essentially a six board chest with carved/applied decoration,seems to be white oak and emblazoned with the inscription Gesche and Maria Ahlers and dated 1750. The structural members- of which the back and bottom are replacements - are of solid panels about an inch think and pegged together with dowels. Low relief architectural style elements and carved panels are of the same oak but of thinner stock. 22 1/2' high, 23 1/2"deep and 70" long. Don't know enough about the subject to be sure, just looking for more info regards this chest/coffer. A fair amount is missing so I assume it isn't worth too much,but interesting none the less. Any Ideas?

 

Greetings, David! I think you'll want to meet @James Conrad .

 

Welcome!

 

Hi David

 

Hi David and WELCOME to ANTIQUERS!! Are you planning on doing or having any restoration work done on it!!! It's very interesting, that's for sure!!! Looks like you've found it a snug spot indoors!!!

 

Hello and Welcome

@James Conrad this is one you might know about.

 

Well, not sure this is american as it's rotary milled oak and carved which would be odd for mid 18th century here. Also the fact the case is not dovetailed, another oddity in this period but rather, seems to be a quasi joined frame & panel chest of the 17th century. The "crease" molding on the vertical & horizontal rails is a 17th-century style and the central panels have 17th & 18th-century style carving. Finally, in 2nd photo, the keyhole is off-center, almost like builder didn't quite have that worked out in advance, I.E. an amateur or hobbyist builder.
Add all that up & this could be a 19th century or later revival or home workshop type of piece.
It would help to see the inside of the chest.

 

Hi David!

Welcome to Antiquers............

 

Is the wood unfinished? It looks like there isn't even a coat of varnish.

 

Welcome David.

 

Maybe 'fashionably' stripped? And they forgot to put the handles back on the sides?

 

Sorry, still learning my way around the website. I put up a few images of the rebuild of this chest and some interesting details of it's construction and shall we say idiosyncrasies... I'm in the middle of a project right now will be back with more shortly...

 

I guess you really DID "Take it to Town"!!!! Looks like it had lots of little idiosyncrasies to 'jig saw' back together!!! Came out nice for a nice serviceable entertainment center though!

 

Is this the before?


Is this the after?


If so, I hate to say it, but you spent a lot of time and effort removing years and years of patina.
Hey, it's yours, it's clean and it looks nice with the crocks next to it.

 

I think this started out as a home shop project but somewhere along the way it all went wrong.

 

Not to worry about "patina" applied over expanded foam repairs ; ). The "finish" wasn't original,was applied after one of a number of repairs/conservation efforts. This thing does have patina -the patina of a 18th century tombstone - and this oak is hard as a rock. You would need a grinder to remove the patina.

 

Plenty of symptoms of both economy of labor and economy of materials. Looks European because the maker and/or person from which he received his training probably was from Europe- natural progression of design and construction of Penn Dutch carpentry...

 

It's a six board chest clad in applied decoration, as to mimic a more luxurious paneled chest, and I assume more at coffer given the size and the weight of the piece. It's most entirely pinned together with dowels and has undergone several repairs/modifications over the years. It's American because it's made from American Oak and not a European variety. Oak in this period was cut and carved while still green because it's so hard when dry, and as such develops this characteristic look when it dries and ages. I assume the the design was subject to then dimensional demands of the materials. One door is longer than the other, some panels wider than others,almost seems as if the available materials in some ways dictated design and dimensions of elements. Woodwork was labor intensive with all boards being cuts,sawn and planed by hand.This was not a high end piece,which is what the Hadley chests were for instance, and not the product of later organized production. I suspect it was made by a more general type of carpenter, taking a stab at something above, maybe a commission or for himself. This type of carving and working in Oak requires some skill above the norm. It's commemorative, and interestingly enough I did some internet research and came up with a certain Gesche and Maria Alherns in public records -of the inscribed 1750 date- In Montgomery or Bucks or some such county in PA. Don't read German so can't read them unfortunately, and there were more than one entry of various dates. Not to say these folks were one and the same but interesting none the less..I'll be back with more soon...

 

OK @David Hunt ......so now am thoroughly cornfused!!!! Is the finished piece LIGHT or DARK??? Either way, it's YOURS and Either way, it looks NICE....but just GOTTA KNOW!!!!!!!