Seven-Drawer Tall Chest, about 1825
Boston
Mahogany (secondary woods: mahogany, pine, and poplar)
45 5/8 in. high, 27 5/8 in. wide, 14 5/8 in. deep
Inscribed (on six drawer locks): SECURE; (on seventh lock): CHUBB’S / PATENT / 57 St PAULS CHY / LONDON / CHUBB & SON / MAKERS TO / HER MAJESTY / 632284; (on one hinge): [BUR?] NE PATENT; (on master lock): 2 LEVER
As a form, the seven-drawer chest is a standard item among English and French cabinetmakers, both those working earlier and later, but it appears to be otherwise unknown among the production of Boston Neo-Classical cabinetmakers. In the present example, a vertical element on hinges running the full height at the right can be locked in order to secure the contents of all of the drawers, each of which is also supplied with its own lock. In typical Boston fashion, the secondary woods are largely mahogany, underlining the extraordinary quality of pieces such as this.