Chest of Drawers
Maker
James Woodward
(American, 1769 - 1839)
CultureAmerican
Dateca. 1825
MediumMahogany, yellow pine, and poplar
DimensionsOverall: 46 1/2 x 45 1/2 x 21 3/4 in. (118.1 x 115.6 x 55.2 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase, Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. Decorative Arts Fund
Object number2005.12
Not on view
DescriptionThis is an American mahogany and mahogany veneer chest of drawers with a rectangular top above two short over three long cock-beaded drawers flanked by carved and spiraled columns and raised on turned feet.Label TextChest of Drawers, ca. 1825 Mahogany, yellow pine, and poplar Museum purchase 2005.12 Cabinetmaker James Woodward opened his first shop in Norfolk in 1793, and by 1800, the quality of his furniture had earned him wealth and community standing. The prominence of turned decorative elements, as seen on this candlestand’s central column and on the front of this chest of drawers, is a distinctive feature of his pieces. Such handsome workmanship required skilled assistants, and by the time of his death, Woodward’s large shop had 16 employees, including seven enslaved African Americans. Exhibition History"The Norfolk Rooms," Willoughby-Baylor House, Norfolk, VA, opened August 16, 2014.
