Tool box or chest

1820-1840

Measurements

14-1/2 in x 25-1/4 in x 10-7/8 in

Materials

Hard pine

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp

Accession Number

1959.3818

Inscription

“Ethel Baker” and many numbers are written on the top of the till lid; “Dear friend / I will now drop” is on the underside of the till cover.  “24 Large Squares / and 17 small squares” and ‘Twenty four large squares / Seventeen small squares” is in pencil on underside of the box lid.

Condition Notes

The right front foot is missing a half-inch from the front facing and one-inch from the side facing.

Provenance

Ex coll. H. Rodney Sharp

Comments

The green-painted rectangular box or chest, dovetailed together, stands on straight bracket feet that are also dovetailed.  The foot facings have five notches or steps cut into them to form the diagonal cut.  This particular feature can be found in Georgian furniture and is the basis for suggesting an origin there.  See Dale L. Couch, "The Stepped Bracket in the Lower Piedmont," in Material Culture, 1733-1900:  Two Decades of Scholarship (Georgia Museum of Art, 2019), 80-83.  The chest lid has an applied molding across the front and cleats attached to each side.  The cleats have the same molding profile as the front and the base moldings, although the front ends of the cleats are cut diagonally.  The lid attaches with cast iron hinges, which suggest a date range for this box, which is otherwise difficult to date.  The dovetails for the chest sides and base moldings are mitered at the top, indicating that the maker had good carpentry skills.

The intended use of this box is not readily apparent.  The till inside on the left side is proportionally wider than usual, suggesting it was design for a particular function.  The "large squares" and "small squares" referenced in the inscriptions are a mystery.