“SW” Joined Chest

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

Joined chests like this one made in the Hadley, Massachusetts, area in the late 17th and early 18th centuries were often both carved and painted. This chest displays only paint, with much of the design created by a compass. It has two drawers and a lift top and was intended to hold household textiles. The initials “SW” on the center stiles are for the first owner. Joined chests from this period, whether painted or carved, often bore the initials of a young woman. In some prosperous families, fathers commissioned the creation of a chest for a daughter preparing for marriage. Many families stored their prized possessions in such chests, and through daughters, passed them down to future generations.

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Details

Item typeHousehold Objects
Furniture
Date1695–1720
PlaceHatfield, Massachusetts
TopicHome Life, Household Items, Furniture
EraColonial settlement, 1620–1762
MaterialWood; Paint
Dimension detailsHeight: 43.75 in Width: 45.00 in Depth: 19.50 in
Catalog #1892.18.03
View this item in our curatorial database →
SW. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1892-18-03/. Accessed on December 7, 2024.

Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.