Chest of Drawers

This bowfront chest with reeded legs, ovolo corners on the top, and slender turned feet is an early example of what would become an extremely common form in Portsmouth and the area. With its brilliant birch-veneered panels framed by rosewood-veneered banding, this example is truly sumptuous even though its maker substituted more readily available local woods for the costlier exotic woods. Birch could easily be stained to resemble mahogany.