1985.B.31, Chest of drawers, Boston, 1750-1780


GENERAL DESCRIPTION  
The front of this chest of drawers seems to move in and out, punctuated at each segment by a brass handle or lock escutcheon. This "swelled," or blocked, front design was especially popular in Boston and Newport during the mid-18th century. The labor and additional material required to shape the curved facade made such a piece extremely costly. The wealthy Boston apothecary Daniel Scott may have been the original owner of this example. The piece is branded "D. Scott" on the back, and Scott's death inventory of 1770 lists both a "Beaureau" [sic] and a "case of drawers," terms then used interchangeably for this type of chest.

Excerpt from
Kevin W. Tucker, DMA unpublished material, Label text (1985.B.31), 2006.

NOTES
  • provenance form in TMS changed to comply with Guidelines and Procedures for Provenance Display
  • Venable catalogue essay added to TMS as a text entry

Catalogue essays

Artist/designers

Cultures

Geography 

Process/materials

Historical periods

Individuals

Subject terms

RELATED OBJECTS 

PROVENANCE 
Early/mid 20th century: Harry Arons, Ansonia, Connecticut

Until 1961: Israel Sack, Inc., New York, New York

1961-1985: The Faith P. and Charles L. Bybee Collection, Houston, Texas

From 1985: Collection of the Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from Faith P. and Charles L. Bybee

Notes:
The main source for this provenance is Charles L. Venable, American Furniture in the Bybee Collection, (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, published in association with the Dallas Museum of Art, 1989), 57.

AUDIO ASSETS 

VIDEO ASSETS

IMAGE ASSETS

WEB RESOURCES 

ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

FUN FACTS

TEACHING IDEAS

RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1985.B.31
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
 
The front of this chest of drawers seems to move in and out, punctuated at each segment by a brass handle or lock escutcheon. This "swelled," or blocked, front design was especially popular in Boston and Newport during the mid-18th century. The labor and additional material required to shape the curved facade made such a piece extremely costly. The wealthy Boston apothecary Daniel Scott may have been the original owner of this example. The piece is branded "D. Scott" on the back, and Scott's death inventory of 1770 lists both a "Beaureau" [sic] and a "case of drawers," terms then used interchangeably for this type of chest.

Excerpt from
Kevin W. Tucker, DMA unpublished material, Label text (1985.B.31), 2006.

Fun Facts

Archival Resources

Web Resources
 

Notes
  • provenance form in TMS changed to comply with Guidelines and Procedures for Provenance Display
  • Venable catalogue essay added to TMS as a text entry

Catalogue essays

Artist/designers

Cultures

Geography 

Process/materials

Historical periods

Individuals

Subject terms

RELATED OBJECTS 

PROVENANCE 
Early/mid 20th century: Harry Arons, Ansonia, Connecticut

Until 1961: Israel Sack, Inc., New York, New York

1961-1985: The Faith P. and Charles L. Bybee Collection, Houston, Texas

From 1985: Collection of the Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from Faith P. and Charles L. Bybee

Notes:
The main source for this provenance is Charles L. Venable, American Furniture in the Bybee Collection, (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, published in association with the Dallas Museum of Art, 1989), 57.

AUDIO ASSETS 

VIDEO ASSETS

rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1985.B.31
tags
#draft
#completed
%copyedited_Gail
@Bowling
%Archived
Boston (Massachusetts/United States): TGN: 7013445
*Decorative Arts and Design
pine (wood): AAT: 300012620
curves (geometric figures): AAT: 300378887
mahogany (wood): AAT: 300012221
chest of drawers: AAT: 300039009
Chippendale: AAT: 300021214
source file
object_notes_4_b-0194.xml.nores