Miniature Chests
Miniature chests appear regularly at antique shows and auctions. For many years these chests were described as ‘salesman samples,’ the thinking being that a cabinetmaker would make a sample for a prospective customer to show off their skill. Current thinking now believes that these miniature chests were created for direct sale to customers. Theories about possible uses for these miniature chests vary, from storing jewelry, gloves or hair ornaments among some ideas.
Below are three examples showing the wide range of miniature chest styles. The first chest is in the collection of Lefferts historic house, Brooklyn, New York and dates from 1840-1860.The chest is probably from New York and has sustained losses during its lifetime. Bernard & S. Dean Levy, New York offers two fine examples of miniature chests. The bird’s eye maple chest is attributed to the workshop of John and Thomas Seymour of Boston, Massachusetts and dates to around 1800. This attribution is based on the use of blue paper in the drawers and numbering system. The other example is a curly maple chest from Pennsylvania, also dating from 1800.
As can be seen from these three examples, miniature chests were produced by skilled craftsmen in a wide variety of styles throughout the 19th century.
