Antique Federal Period Tiger Maple Tall Chest With Secret Locking Drawer Feature

Description

With our absolute highest compliments Bay Colony Antiques takes the utmost pleasure in presenting this exceptional antique chest of drawers. … more With our absolute highest compliments Bay Colony Antiques takes the utmost pleasure in presenting this exceptional antique chest of drawers. This antique tall chest is constructed entirely with beautiful tiger maple wood along with cherry selected for the top which creates a wonderful contrast. The most impressive feature that this tall chest boasts are two ingenious primitive locking features that make the two upper drawers inaccessible. These wooden spring locks, known as "Dutch locks" by many antique collectors, as they were most commonly associated with furniture made in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, still work as well as the day this chest was made. They are both affixed to the center of each drawer underside and work by slamming into the transition above the upper long drawer forcing each drawer to stay within the frame of the chest. To access the upper drawers, first you have to understand where the spring locks are and then open the upper long drawer so that you may reach up inside to depress the wooden lock as to allow it to slide out of the frame of the chest. Quite often people do not understand that the wooden spring lock is there and force the upper drawer out of the case causing damage to the drawer and ripping the wooden locking latch off in the process. It is not uncommon to see evidence of spring locks on the drawers of antique furniture, but it is quite rare indeed to see both locks still intact in great condition.
This antique tall chest is in overall excellent condition with a beautiful color and patina that will only continue to enrich the appeal and character of the piece as time goes on. Each drawer is fitted with floral embossed brass drawer pulls, inset brass escutcheons on the three primary drawers, cockbead molding around the drawer frame, hand cut dovetailed drawer construction, and chamfered drawer panels. The lowest drawer panel received the most amount of oxidation and when it is removed from the case the centuries of age become apparent from glimpsing the underside of the drawer panel. The same exact matching oxidation and patina can be found on the backboards of the chest as well indicating centuries of age. The sides of the chest feature frame and panel construction which is beneficial in allowing the chest to acclimate to changes in humidity throughout the seasons. The tall chest stands on four finely turned legs in the Sheraton manner which end on ball feet. The chest measures 40 1/2" wide x 21" deep x 48 1/2" tall. less