Description:
Chest of drawers with paper label on the bottom of the top drawer of Daniel Clay (1770-1848) of Greenfield, Massachusetts. The case is a low-grade cherry, the top is yellow-poplar with unusually wide rays. The secondary wood is basswood, identified from samples taken from the drawer bottom and back boards. This chest of drawers features the construction characteristics shared by Clay case pieces: large, vertical backboards chamfered at top and sides and attached in grooves to case sides and top; interior edge of rear of case sides chamfered; drawer runners attached in grooves (or rabbets) to case sides; top of case sides fits into grooves cut into top; top attached to case sides, back, and top rail with numerous glue blocks; no full or partial sub-top; drawer fronts not always of uniform thickness; tops of drawer sides rounded over slightly with bench plane; ogee bracket feet are not blind dovetailed together, but are joined at the bottom with a key insert; multiple secondary woods such as white pine and basswood used in the same piece; and, labelled with either a printed label or cutout of newspaper ad. This piece is an important document of the variety of Clay's shop output, especially when considered alongside the labeled oxbow chest of drawers in HD's collection (76.012). These two chests of drawers illustrate that Clay produced both high-end and more affordable versions of the same form. The chest of drawers on the right features simpler construction and ornament, while the one on the left includes a gadrooned skirt, oxbow front, and fluted quarter-columns topped with lambs tongues. The fancier chest of drawers is constructed out of high-grade cherry and cherry veneer, while the less expensive version is made of low-grade cherry as seen in the visible imperfections in the surface, particularly on the case sides. Clay made available the same form, using the same materials, at different price points. After the early years of the nineteenth century, Clay was the only cabinetmaker with a shop in Greenfield, and his consumers could not all afford the most fancy version of a form. This is one way he was able to maintain his business while satisfying customer demand.
Subjects:
Brass Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2017.1 |
