Antique solid mahogany chest of drawers

I would be grateful if I could have your thoughts on this piece of furniture.

I'm trying to pin it down as to date and country of orgin (probably UK).

Intend to get it professionally restored. I'll try to get replacement brass handles made for it (ones shown are modern replacements, put on years ago before I bought it).

Found it in a charity shop covered in children's stickers and paint!

What I know:

1. Solid mahogany throughout including the drawer liners. Back panels probably in oak.

2. Marks of orginal handles visible under new ones, guessing late eighteenth century.

3. Fairly sure dovetails are handcut, not machine, very fine. Suggests quality.

4. Chamfer to drawers, again suggest quality. Unusual design, seen nothing like it.

5. Original turned feet, not bracket. Suggests later, early nineteeth century?

Fact it has turned feet and probably once had late eighteeth century handles throws me out - is it earlier or later in date? Period/style? Stuck on this one.

 

Let me preface what I have to say with the fact that I am not an expert in English furniture. Consequently, what I say most undoubtedly has an American bias. However some things about antique furniture ring true on either side of the pond.

I am not seeing enough in this to warrant any suggestion of a date as early as you suggest. It is not that it couldn't be but there just aren't enough clues to place it that far back. In fact, the little turned feet make me think 19th century. I am thinking more a mid-19th century country vernacular piece.

The wood does not look like mahogany to me. More like beech or other plain grained wood with a stain. The back is most certainly pine. I don't have any context about the three filled holes you are showing in the one picture. I assume this is evidence of a previous pull? Guess I would like to see a photo of front and back of a drawer front with a current handle removed.

 

I’m thinking even later; late 19th Century conceivably into the 20th. The proportions illustrated were really more common with revival pieces in the 1930s and 40s. Regardless, I agree with Verybrad: definitely not 18th Century.

 

This is where my lack of knowlege about English furniture breaks down. I know they used hand cut dovetails much longer than we did, so maybe they fit with a 20th century date. Those wide pine back boards would not be seen in a 20th century American piece. Would they be typical in England? We don't have dimensions here so maybe they are not as wide as I think. Top seems to be at least 2 boards so that is OK with 20th century.

 

Thanks for the comments.

Have wondered if it was made in walnut, but settled on mahogany as a best guess. Inside of the drawers, possibly pine? Perhaps mahogany was used for the drawer fronts and the top, which is quite thick, the rest in pine (always assumed it was made from the same wood used on front and top). You say beech, might be right - could be a stained hardwood. Colour though looks odd in photos, think because it was badly refinished in the past. It feels like an old piece. Cupping to top, as you can see from the photos, think that puts it back a bit. Inclined to go for the C19th date (had thought 1840s - 1860s). Could well be a small country piece. No veneers used anywhere, just solid wood. As to the three filled holes, those are on the top of the piece. If you look closely you can see two square lighter patches, holes are there. Don't know if that corresponds to something which was orginally affixed on top or it's simply wear and tear. The marks of the original handles confused me - look like those of a much older piece. Perhaps simply re-using brass hardware?

Have added a few more photos. Show the drawers and dovetails, one of which shows different sizes of dovetail (handmade rather than machine made?). Possible radial cut marks/saw marks to the wood on the base of one of the drawers. And possibly an import or factory mark on one of those pieces of drawer base wood.

All of this is helpful as it is useful to get different opinions and feedback.

 

Can't think this is really worth the expense. Furniture prices are so low these days that any professional restoration needs to be reserved for the top 10% (1%?) in quality/significance. Think you could go out and buy a better piece with good condition and provenance for less.

I am sure this piece was a bargain and better than anything new that could be bought for the money. I just think it needs to be spruced up and enjoyed/used for what it is. No sense in trying to make it into something that it is not.

 

Thanks for the new pics. Drawers are pine. Large radius saw mark would put this into 19th century here in the US. Don't know how that translates over there. Have no idea on the diamond shaped mark.

 

The filled holes probably were where nails were driven to secure the top as a bad repair. Typical to see on an old piece. Dovetails are certainly hand made.

 

Thanks all for your feedback - clarified things for me. I thought the chances of it being an old/valuable piece were 1/10. Hinged on the handles, so to speak. Would only get it done up (and go to the expense of having handles made or finding matching ones) if it had been all quality wood and old enough). It's an honest piece and has proved extremely useful - does what it was intended to do. Will have a go at restoring it myself and do any minor repairs if I can. Had it for over 20 years.

The price of furniture is crazy. Here in the UK you can buy a quality piece of antique funiture for peanuts. I bought a Victorian mahogany Sutherland table for £30 at a local auction recently. A nice Victorian or earlier chest of drawers not much more.

 

I've been hearing about that. Georgian and Victorian solid wood going for pennies, and yet people paying $tupid money for flatpack made of sawdust and glue. Meanwhile a wood and marble sideboard at a local charity shop that specializes in furniture will probably not sell until marked under US$200. You'd have a tough time finding a nice slab of dressed marble for that money.

 

Probably last post on this one. Had another look. Piece is pinned at the back with little wooden pegs, suspect that was orginally to hold the back pine panels on. See arrows. The pegs simply popped out (wasn't trying to remove them). Have put back in. See pic with arrows, shows where the pegs are located. Pic of three holes, two small lower ones mark positions of pegs, the larger one filled with modern wax, nail underneath - you're right, lid has been nailed on, but seems like a modern repair. I'm thinking it was refinished, handles replaced and top nailed on around the same time. Pine pieces on back were hand planed at an angle to fit, I think, see pic.

 

Think your conclusions are spot-on. I imagine the wooden pegs have shrunk a bit over time. If they still can be pushed in to fit tight, a little glue should keep them in. Otherwise, you may need to make some new ones.

 

Had another thought about the wood. Could be cherry. Some of the grain looks right but can't say it screams such. I don't know how much it is used over there but quite common here in country made pieces.

 

Thanks for your feedback. I've never settled on a view as to the type of wood used. Thought mahogany or walnut (more in hope really). It could be a fruitwood, though, especially if it was a country piece. A lot of early English furnitures used fruitwood, especially in smaller pieces, of course oak and ash and so on. I've put a bit of beeswax on it (needed a polish), which has brought up the grain, see pics.

 

Doesn't really look like cherry here. I am back to beech or other light hardwood.

 

Ok, thanks.

 

Wild speculation here, 100% hunch.

Anyone else feeling a little puzzled by the photos of the finish, grain, and figure? Pic#13 especially. You can see the figure of tree rings UNDER long, nearly black streaks, streaks that don’t quite agree with the figure underneath. Doesn’t look exactly like wood grain. At least to me, on my phone, sitting on my sofa.

I have the irrational urge to call this faux finish. Which was very popular in the 19th C, especially in Europe.

could there be another grain and figure under the finish we see?

Will gladly take correction. Thx

 

Thanks for the comment. I've done a lot of digging since and have run it past various people on another forum and it is probably 1860s - 1900 in date (though I still feel it is a bit earlier) and made of solid walnut (photos of it taken from different angles). The top is made of two pieces of solid walnut, about 2cm thick as are the side panels. The wood drawer fronts and the legs are also made of solid walnut. So it's a bit better than I orginally thought and may be worth restoring. See the link.

https://woodbarter.com/threads/help-in-identifying-this-type-of-wood.52306/