THOMAS SCHWENKE, INC.
Sold to a private collector
North Shore Inlaid Swell Front Bureau, 17951800
H. 37 3/4", W. 40 1/2", D. 20 1/2"
Courtesy of Thomas Schwenke, Inc.
The drawer backs of this chest are stamped with the initials J & B, possibly the mark of John Baker, a cabinetmaker working in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in the late eighteenth century. A Federal game table signed by Baker is documented in the photographic collection at Winterthur Museum. A North Shore origin for this chest is reinforced by the design, use of Eastern white pine secondary wood throughout, finely dovetailed construction, and thin drawer linings. The primary woods are also characteristic of the region, as are the finely detailed inlays and use of fancy veneers.
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