Chest 1704

This wooden chest was made anonymously in 1704, and brings a social history of labor and the home into the museum space. At the time of its creation, the United States was in its early colonial stages, and this chest speaks to the traditions and values of its makers. The anonymous creator was likely a joiner, an artisan who would have made furniture for private clients, and perhaps for sale in a shop. We can assume this chest was made in one of the original colonies on the East coast. It would have been used to store valuable household possessions and important documents. The style, including the choice of lettering, carving and tulip motifs, demonstrates a vernacular style, where standard patterns were available and adapted by artisans and clients to suit individual commissions. As art historians, we consult local archives, probate inventories and collections of pattern books to understand more about the social context of objects like this chest, and the world of skilled laborers who made them.