Description:
Blue/grey painted dome-top chest with basswood used as the primary wood, with an iron lock at front center, and an iron handle with an iron heart-shaped escutcheon on either side. Basswood was not normally used as a primary wood in early American furniture, with the exception of objects such as this chest with surfaces entirely covered with painted decoration. The easily-worked basswood comprising the structure and surface of this chest is light weight, and the grain of the wood was relatively easy to paint. Some times these objects were painted with faux-grain patterns, and in other examples, such as this chest, the painted pattern was simply ornamental. This created an attractive and useful form that could be stored at the foot of a bed, or under a table or high chest, adding a spash of color to an interior. The chest could have stored a variety of items, such as linens, clothes, or textile working materials.

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2017.41

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