Antique Chests/Chests of Drawers
The chest of drawers is one of the most useful and enduring forms of antique furniture. Our dealers offer chests from the 17th century through to the Edwardian era, in oak, mahogany, walnut, satinwood and pine. You'll find tallboys, bow-fronted chests, campaign chests, Wellington chests, mule chests and blanket boxes.
Built with solid timber, hand-cut dovetail joints and quality brasswork, antique chests of drawers deliver storage, style and craftsmanship that modern furniture rarely approaches.
Featured
Featured
A 19th Century French Sabicu Bombe Commode
Featured
Small Antique George III Quality Mahogany Chest of Four Drawers
Featured
A Fine Louis XV Style Marquetry & Ormolu Commode
Featured
Antique 18th Century George III Mahogany Chest on Chest of Drawers
Featured
Antique Early 18th Century Quality Oak Box Coffer in the Form of a Miniature Chest
Featured
Antique Edwardian Quality Figured Mahogany Bow Fronted Chest of Four Drawers
Georgian Oak Coffer
18th Century Walnut Chest of Drawers
19th Century Campaign Secretarie Chest Of Drawers
Regency Bow Fronted Chest Of Drawers
19th Century Wellington Chest
19th Century Mahogany Chest Of Drawers
A Particularly Appealing Mahogany Military Chest
Victorian oak silver chest with an interesting life story
Georgian Oak Chest Of Drawers
Inlaid Satinwood Tallboy
Superb Regency Bow Front Tall Chest of Drawers
Inlaid Mahogany Chest of Drawers
Antique Small Georgian Mahogany Four Drawer Chest of Drawers with Brushing Slide
Outstanding Original George I Antique Quality Figured Walnut Chest of Drawers
Large Mahogany Chippendale Style Chest
GIII oak chest on stand
Superb Serpentine Burr Walnut Chest on Chest of Drawers
Excellent Quality French Marquetry Commode Chest of Drawers
Queen Anne Burr Walnut Chest of Drawers on Stand
Victorian pine chest of drawers
Antique Chests of Drawers: A Buyer's Guide
Few pieces of furniture are as universally useful as a chest of drawers. They work in bedrooms, hallways, living rooms and studies. Antique examples offer the added bonus of being beautifully made from solid timber, with joints and construction techniques that have proven themselves over centuries.
Pull drawers out and examine them closely. Hand-cut dovetails, visible on the drawer sides, are a hallmark of quality and age. Machine-cut dovetails, which are perfectly even and uniform, indicate a later date, typically post-1860. Drawer bottoms should be solid timber running front to back, with the grain running side to side on earlier pieces.
Popular Types
Georgian bow-fronted chests in mahogany are classics of English furniture. Their gently curved fronts required skilled cabinet work and they sit beautifully in any setting. Campaign chests, designed for military officers to take on campaign, are distinguished by their flush brass handles and the ability to separate into two halves for transport. They're immensely practical and suit modern interiors perfectly.
Wellington chests, tall and narrow with a locking bar on one side, were originally designed for storing coins, specimens or documents. Today they make superb storage for jewellery, accessories or collections of any kind.
Assessing Condition
Check that drawers slide smoothly and sit squarely in the carcass. A drawer that sticks may simply need its runners waxed, or it may indicate that the chest has been exposed to damp and the timber has swelled. Look at the top surface for excessive ring marks, burns or veneer damage. Most surface marks can be improved with careful restoration, but this should be factored into the price.