Featured Pilgrim Sugar Chest

As a newcomer I hope you don't mind if I interject here. The table uprights IMO are fluted, not reeded, which is convex. Linen-fold is different again and has continuous form....to my knowledge. As you say, this may be subjective though. I have enjoyed the thread thank you, and so nice to see my American cousins so enthused with a piece of period furniture.

 

No, not at all, WELCOME ABOARD!
Well, i wasn't trying to imply a true carved "linenfold" decoration which would require a much larger space but, I think this joiner was going after the "look" of a carved linenfold on the left/right stiles. He did this by plowing a centerline groove in center of stile and finishing it on either side of groove with a molding plane.
Naturally i could be wrong about this as it is very subjective but linenfold carving was very popular in america in last quarter 17th century.
Fluted or Reeded decoration is almost always applied to a round column here and didn't become popular until the Federal period.

Here is a photo of chest on it's back with right stile isolated & enlarged



Here is a traditional Linenfold Carving



And this is considered "Fluted" legs, american, sheraton style, C 1810

 

Hopefully, I have completely confused everyone by now!