Featured A Pilgrim Fragment

This past June at McInnis there was a pilgrim century (1620-1720) blanket chest for sale, it was missing it's lid, lock, glove box and drawer, basically a fragment was all that was left. The spindle decoration as well as the paint seemed original but still, this chest needed major restoration.
"This circa 1700 dower chest attributed to the Emery shops in Newbury was likely made for Mehetabel Wicom, who was born in Newbury in 1682. It sold to a local buyer for $57,500. The chest is missing its top and its single drawer. It was published in Old-Town and the Waterside (1986) by Peter Benes. It was headed to an area collection."

57 thousand US dollars? JESUS, that's unreal, i have seen carved Thomas Dennis chest "fragments" go for less, A LOT LESS.

 

"This will be an Old Fashioned Country Auction with no on-line bidding." and "There will be no previews prior to auction day." They don't seem to have been trying too hard with such a nice estate.

 

Yeah, i hear you but, they got some big numbers considering. A toy boat sold for 120k so it must have been a very well heeled crowd at their "Old Fashioned Country Auction".

 

There is another pilgrim fragment coming to market, estimate is $50. missing it's bottom drawer & feet and of course the paint long gone.


This chest of drawers at the MET with it's original paint & brass pulls was built in the same shop (i think) & is one of the best painted examples of a pilgrim era chest of drawers extant.

 

Interesting that they say "Later escutcheons" when they look the same to me as in the painted example.

 

Thank you for posting about this auction a while back. When you posted I checked the listings and considered attending (it was less than an hour from me). That chest was interesting, but I stopped buying at auction quite a while ago and figured even at a couple thousand it didn't make sense for me to get. I never imagined it could go that high, but I'm sure glad I didn't bother to go. Where is the partial chest with a $50 estimate (or are you planning to have a go at it?). This is an excellent example of how original paint can be absolutely huge.

 

That fragment went for $1000. still cheap i think considering, that $50 was a tease. Does need a TON of restoration though.

 

Yes, that painted chest above is very striking, i can understand why paint was such a big deal at the start of 18th century. First off people had been living with pilgrim era joined furniture since the 15th century, long time for same basic style and were most likely SICK TO DEATH of it. And 2, they lived in the dark, a bit of paint is just what the doctor ordered, a little BUZZ factor!
Whatever the reasons actually were, ( pure speculation on my part above) paint was a SMASH HIT at the dawn of the 18th century. It's to bad so much of it has been stripped off the old pieces.

 

No, i never considered it, i have the "bird" chest, built in Boston 1690-1710.