Chest on chest

The ornamental options on this chest were described in a 1772 Philadelphia booklet called the Price of Cabinet and Chair Work. Options included here include a pitch or triangular pediment, quarter columns, plain feet, dentils, and fretwork. Each element added to the composition increased the price. The booklet reveals that this chest cost about £20, roughly 10 months’ wages for a journeyman carpenter. Other available options included a broken scroll pediment and rococo carving, often seen on other Philadelphia examples of this form.
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