Featured Connecticut "Sunflower" Chest

A "sunflower" (now believed to be a Marigold) chest is up for grabs this Saturday, I'd say it's a period chest and it appears to be all there with the exception of the ebonized spindles/eggs and drawer pulls. For those not familiar with this form, a little background below.
The "Sunflower" school of joinery flourished in central Connecticut during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries and over eighty five examples are known today bearing the signature floral carving (once thought to be sunflowers, but now described as marigolds or stylized rosettes) as seen on this chest's central panel. Chests without drawers and with one drawer, cupboards and boxes were all made by this school, but accounting for the vast majority of surviving forms is the two-drawer chest.
With its large number of surviving examples, innovative design and construction and widespread influence, the "Sunflower" school is one of the most significant groups of early American furniture. The earliest known example is a cupboard made for Rev. Joseph Rowlandson (1631-1678), who lost all his possessions in a Native American attack in Lancaster, Massachusetts in 1676 and moved to Wethersfield in 1677. He died there the following year, thus providing a 1677 or 1678 date for his "Sunflower" cupboard now at the Lancaster Public Library. Peter Blin (c.1640-1725), a French-speaking emigre, has long been associated with the production of "Sunflower" furniture as he arrived in Wethersfield in 1675, just prior to the production of the Rowlandson cupboard and his inventory included both joiner's and turner's tools, indicating he was able to make both the chests and their applied turned ornaments.
Furthermore, Robert F. Trent argues that the flowers are marigolds, which had symbolic references in seventeenth-century France, and thus likely part of the decorative vocabulary of a craftsman of French heritage. The Blin attribution remains conjectural as the large number of surviving chests, though remarkably consistent in ornament and construction, were undoubtedly made in several shops-perhaps concurrently or by apprentices emulating the practices of a master. In addition, two closely related but stylistically earlier chests with all-over carving and lacking applied ornament were made in Windsor, Connecticut. These chests are possible antecedents, which would indicate that the "Sunflower" tradition was locally born, rather than introduced by an immigrant such as Blin. Illustrating the breadth and depth of the influence of the "Sunflower" tradition, related designs and construction techniques appear on a number of Hartford County forms as well as a group of painted chests from the Connecticut coast.
https://auctions.stairgalleries.com...e-and-oak-carved-hadley-blanket-chest-3955637

 

This chest is so beautiful. I love it!

 

It's AVAILABLE! throw your hat into the ring! someone who does not have one now will have one come Sat morning.
It's a rare chest amongst the "sunflower" form as it only has the single drawer, most have 2.
The dimensions are dead on balls accurate for this form, 48" wide by 21" deep
The lid is hard yellow pine (unusual for NE) as are other authenticated chests, ditto drawer bottom & back
I am registered for the sale and with a 5-10k estimate i am a player at that price point however, i really doubt this chest will sell in that range, it will be more i predict, much more!
Still, nothing beat a try but failure.

 

Awesome chest. Someone is going to be a very happy camper when the bidding is done.

 

My Cousin Vinny. Great movie!

 

I love how the middle design in the drawer follows the two drawer pattern but "cheats" by placing a portion of the design on the chest. It is far easier to store blankets and sheets in one large drawer rather than two. I wish you great luck my friend and this wonderful piece with such a rich history will grace your house.

 

Or, someone with a two-drawer one will HAVE to have this one. Because, collectors.

Oh yeah, you blend.

 

Wishing you luck, James!!

 

Yeah, it ain't gonna happen, if this chest is what i think it is & still checking on a few details (like the drawer, it should be side hung) this will sell in the 12-20k range i predict. Still reasonable but out of my price point.
Everything has to be "right" for people like me to win, the right auction, the right objects, the right people attending, bla bla bla.
Like that Wallace Nutting pilgrim table this past Jan at Sotheby's, everything was "right" so i won for a change, that is the exception to the usual though which is, i lose.

 

Well, at least you appear to be a gracious loser. Mayhap as a reward for your calm acceptance of the way of things, the powers will line you up right again this time. One must have faith in the cosmos!

Though I would not clear out pride of place in the front room just yet - why tempt the Fates?????

 

Alrighty then, auction emailed me some additional pics ( i hope they don't post them online )
It IS a side hung drawer! as it should be in a period piece. click to enlarge

 

personally i think that since one sold for over 32k$ there are suddenly alot more of them around... suddenly.
would the maker actually have his centre bottom fancies cut by the drawer? thats a new one on me.

 

32k is chump change for American period chests of this era. Christie's sold a sunflower chest in incredibly fine condition for 482k in 2011.
https://www.christies.com/lotfinder...1640&sid=8c8b3c10-67f4-4f6b-ac04-02c00a177b13

????? I am not following you, can you describe that in english please?

 

i believe the 32k was for a wallace nutting pilgrims chest in the sunflower style. you mentioned him.

the "pilasters" in the centre bottom were cut in two to apply them. part is attached to the face of the drawer and the rest is attached to the frame. i do not think this is 1700. they would be smaller and fit within the face of the drawer.

like this one


bidsquare starts at 2500$ on it.
https://www.bidsquare.com/online-au...e-and-oak-carved-hadley-blanket-chest-1446397

 

Just as likely someone who has 7 now will have 8 come Saturday morning.

 

OK, i got you now, those "pilasters" are called "spindles" or "applied turnings" and the "egg bosses" are turned and are not cut in two. In period pieces they are turned on a pole lathe with a filler piece in between.
"The applied turnings, in New England usually maple (acer species), do not appear to be complete half-cylinders. Instead of turning the solid and cutting it in half; these are made by gluing two sections together, with a strip in between them."
Like this


turned, before split


Split apart


For egg bosses it's the same dealio pretty much

 

These terms, spindles & egg bosses are today's terms, we have no idea what they were called in the 17th century, neither in america or england. That language is lost, gone where the good ponies go.

 

sorry we here always called them fancies or pilasters as in this pilaster bed

 

That is the piece on sale this Saturday and, if you read the first post in thread i noted that:
" I'd say it's a period chest and it appears to be all there with the exception of the ebonized spindles/eggs and drawer pulls."
These applied turnings were usually glued on and, they are almost always missing/replaced to some degree or other. Most of these decorations on the chest for sale this Sat are replaced I'd guess, as well as drawer pulls which are replaced for sure.
These applied decorations are not structural elements to the chest, ditto drawer pull & don't really detract from the piece. Don't get me wrong, it would be great if they were original however, the last chest in "very fine" condition sold for 482k, a hideous amount.