A diminutive George I/II burr elm mulberry serpentine chest of drawers
second quarter 18th century
height 31 1/2in (80cm); width 31 1/2in (80cm); depth 16 1/2in (42cm)
Provenance:
With Studio Antiques, Ltd., Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, UK, 20 October 1975.
Property of John H. Ford IV, Los Angeles, California.

Footnote:
Today, the prevalent view is that much of the furniture which was commonly described to be mulberry is in fact stained burr alder, ash, elm, maple, oak, sycamore or other knotty timbers. The idea was for the burl timber to resemble the figuring of tortoiseshell which became fashionable after the influential designs produced by famed French cabinet makers Pierre Golle and Andre Charles Boulle in the 17th century.

The chest of drawers offered here reflects a very definite Dutch influence in its form. The serpentine profile would have been complicated to engineer particularly with the pointed ears at the sides which begin with the top and extend down the case, through the drawers and to the base. A related chest from the same period also displaying noted Dutch aesthetics is illustrated L. Synge, Mallet s Great English Furniture. London, 1991, p. 36, fig. 21.

Structurally sound. With a warm honey color to the highly figured timber, General marks, nicks, scratches, cracking, fading, scattered losses to veneer, patched repair and overpainted restoration. More notable losses to corners of top. Shrinkage cracking to sides. Hardware apparently original. Oxidation to hardware. With cracking, losses and replacements to base molding. No key.