chestnut chest

Chestnut chest with cherry secondary. Rose heads. A new growth board brace was added later for the top looks like white pine. pulls not original. great large size, 53 wide, 25.5 deep, 38 tall.
guesses on state or region and age?

 

@James Conrad @verybrad

 

my guess...american 1930-40's.

 

its 18th century

 

Guesses NE, dunno which state, 4th quarter 18th century. It seems that a bottom drawer or 2 may be missing.

 

think they're replaced? not seeing that

 

I think the drawer was just removed for the photo. It's there in the first pic.

 

No, not replaced, missing altogether, there could have been more drawers on bottom of chest originally. 3 short drawers over 2 long drawers would be an unusual form. Also it's much wider than it is tall, 53" wide by 38" tall, again unusually out of proportion.
I think some drawers are MIA from bottom of chest but again, it is a country piece so unusual is not altogether unusual, lol.

 

I believe hardware, wood and wear looked consistent throughout the piece. I will have another look.

 

Yes, I would. The straight stile feet is another tip that something is amiss, there should be feet & an apron as well & not straight stiles as it's obviously not a 17th century chest when straight stile feet were in style.

 

there were large dowels in feet, I think about an inch wide.

 

It looks to me like a late 18th century "tall chest" with 2 or 3 bottom drawers missing.

 

pics of late 18th century american "tall chest" form

 

ok, boards are all joined with a combination of one large pinned tenon in the lower third of the board in addition to tongue and groove throughout. There is a groove running from top to the bottom of the lowest board, but not further down and all boards rabbited with tongues. this suggests to me that either the sides and back boards did not extend any further down, or that when it was modified they added the tongue and groove to tighten things up. I'll have go get back out and see if the drawers may have been shortened and if there's any signs on the top.

the underside does look consistent with having possibly once held a drawer. there is a dust board on bottom.

 

yes the straight stiles are the odd part. when i first saw it I thought it was French. could that be possible?

 

I was half right......

 

LOL @ half right!
Could it be french? any things possible i guess but, i doubt it. The top is odd as well, i would guess it's replaced. It should have some type of molding during that period but it's missing. Basically this piece is called a "fragment" in the furniture world.