Chest
Shenandoah County or Pendleton (now Highland) County, Virginia, 1793
Black walnut with yellow pine
Catalog no. 105

In contrast to the simple nail construction used to join the earliest American chests, post-1725 examples increasingly employed more technically sophisticated dovetailed cases. On coastal southern furniture, dovetails and other structural features often were concealed behind complex miter joints or thin veneer strips. In contrast, backcountry furniture often displays such structural evidence conspicuously. The exposed dovetails and large iron hinges riveted through the lid indicate the sound construction of this chest. In a similar way, many wooden pins secure the lid and base moldings and create an undulating dot pattern across the top and bottom of the case.

The importance of chests in the backcountry is revealed by the common application of inscriptions and colorful ornamentation. Here, the inscription “John Siron / Mad[e] April 2 / 1793”

likely refers to the owner rather than to the maker.