A. Bowett, Early Georgian Furniture: 1715-1740 (Woodbridge: 2009), p. 99-111
A George I figured and burr walnut bachelor’s chest, the quartered and feather-banded burr walnut fold over top with re-entrant corners, opening to reveal a similarly banded figured walnut interior, above four long graduated drawers, raised on bracket feet, retaining original brassware.
Defined as a chest of drawers with a fold over top, and of smaller proportions, the bachelor’s chest is a classic piece of English furniture. Made in small numbers between 1700 and 1740, they are highly sought after by collectors, with the finest and rarest examples being constructed in figured and burr walnut.
With its thin-railed second-phase construction and carcase cockbeads, this example was likely made between 1725 and 1730. The ovolo base moulding, bracket feet and ovolo bead top moulding also suggest this date. The handles and escutcheons, which are the original, are of a type unlikely to have been fitted to chests after 1740.
This example is made in finely figured walnut and burr walnut and retains very good colour and patina. The re-entrant corners on the top are a refinement that reflect the high quality of this chest.