Description:
Chest of drawers in hard pine and maple with molded-edged plain top; over four graduated drawers with early but not original brasses and chamfering all around the interior sides; plain sides with moldings; over a molded base and four turned legs. It was likely originally painted and/or decorated. According to family tradition, this chest descended in the Hawks family who attributed it to Eliezer Hawks (1655-1727) of Deerfield. This, however, is unlikely. There is a possibility that John Hawks (1643-1721), Eliezer's brother, the joiner-carpenter believed to be a maker of carved Hadley chests, made this plainer type. John lived in Deerfield from 1680 to around 1704 when his wife and daughter were killed in the 1704 raid. A family member took the chest before the auction of the belongings of Susan B. Hawks (1883-1946) in 1946. Ms. Hawks was a Sheldon descendent who last owned the Sheldon House before it was bought by Henry N. Flynt (1893-1970) in 1946. She had an antiques business in the house where she sold many locally-obtained pieces, so this chest may be in fact a family piece, or possibly one purchased from a local family. The chest ended up in a Vermont antique shop where it was bought for HD. This chest is similar to other chests made in the Deerfield area such as 0383 and 1195.
Subjects:
Brass Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+64.205 |
