Featured I HAVE THIS LOVELY SMALL CHEST THAT I LOVE & WOULD LIKE SOME

Expert opinions as to it's age, so am giving a shout out to @James Conrad, @Ghopper1924, @blooey, and anyone else who'd like to kick in please!!! My parents had it for ages, and I don't know if they bought it the way it is or if my Dad did the refinishing.....doesn't matter.....it's mine and whichever relative wants it after me!!! I will probably bore you to death with 15 images which i think means a double post.....and before I forget, the size is Length: 27-3/4", Height: 12-7/8", Depth: front to back @ top: 12-1/4", front to back @ bottom: 14", Lid: 30" X 12-3/4". AND AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! EVERYONE!!!!
EDIT: I DO think either my Dad or my oldest brother probably made the cleats.....

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The rest of them.....ask what you will!!! Sorry a couple MIGHT be a bit blurry....didn't notice 'til they were up!!!

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Well, it's old, guesses late 18th-early 19th century, it may not be american.
The dovetails are backwards for an American build, could either be an amateur or continental, guesses European, maybe Germany.
Hinges are weird, they don't match, the hinge on right is called a fishtail hinge.
The feet or bracket base is missing.
Probably a child's blanket chest because of it's size, the 2 drawers below the till are a nice feature.

 

James, thank you so much.....could you explain this part of what you're saying...
"The feet or bracket base is missing." I'm not understanding....if you're referring to what's on the bottom, those are just felt pads I put on to protect the hardwood floor........WAIT.....I don't even SEE the bottom that I thought I posted!!! will add it now:

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Well, it's unusual to have a chest go to the floor with no "break" at the bottom, always there will at least be a molding that wraps around 3 sides of chest.
More commonly "feet" or a "bracket base".
I'll get some photos of all 3 types

 

Especially unusual if the chest is German.

Anyway, thinking early 19th century for this, and indeed probably German. Beautiful piece, love the small drawers, dovetailing, and the two different-sized strapwork hinges. If you wanted to sell it.........

 

Molding Base


Bracket Feet Base

Turned Feet

 

Bottom line is, one of those 3 endings is MIA!
There is supposed to be SOMETHING down there to "finish" the chest at floor level.

 

If there are holes under those pads, your chest had turned feet.
If there are no holes under the pads, then you either had bracket feet or molding base that is missing

 

James, are we on two different tangents??? I always thought this might be a small Sea Chest!!!! Especially with the angled shape of it (picture 2, 1st post) and with the becketts!! Personally, I've never seen becketts on regular chests! And NO, no holes under the pads!! And don't think, so far, I've seen an antique sea chest with feet!! Got 3 others adrift around the house! But those are nice household chests you showed!

 

Awfully small for a sea chest isn't it? And why would a sea chest have a till? with drawers?
I assumed those brackets/rope was added and not original

 

Just from the suggestion of sea chest I found this one and wanted to ask if yours is canted also. Seems to be in the photos. Sorry I don't know anything personally.

https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/m...e-camphorwood-canted-sea-chest/id-f_13180081/

 

Yeah, me either, knows NOTHING about sea chest really but maybe?

 

YES, @say_it_slowly, mine definitely IS.....you can also tell from the measurements I gave.....!

 

I don't know, which is why I was asking, but I will do some digging when I have some time, now that it's a question!!

 

My only thought might be- unless it was made for a ladie's personal smaller things (Captain's wife??)....not really sure....good point on the antique rope becketts being added as the cleats are pretty "new" I think....mentioned above my Dad or Bro could have made the cleats....

 

My first thought was a sea chest, could be a ship's carpenters chest too. Love the ropework handles! The black staining around the iron fasteners suggest it has been in a wet environment now and again.

 

Well, I guess that's possible!
Your chest is only 12 inches high & wide though, pretty dang small.
About those beckets/rope thingy, if it ever came loose/damaged, how would you repair/replace then re-attach with a till and drawers in the way?
Still, I know zero about sea chests so I dunno.

 

Whatever it is I really like it, lucky you!

 

It certainly looks like it was designed to go to sea. Perhaps it was for an officer's table service - plates, utensils, etc. - which might explain the small size and interior compartments. The beckets are really nice. Can you tell if they are rope fiber or leather?