Antiques - A Bachelor's chest

By Worcestershire Life on July 1st 2011

The greatest pleasure for me as a valuer is alighting upon works of art, which, hitherto, have been unidentified, overlooked and grossly under-valued. The cynic’s riposte would be that it is motivated by self-interest but this is not true. There is no personal financial reward for such endeavour, although one would hope that it would not go unacknowledged by the powers that be. After all, why else should a valuer be in gainful employment if not to use his or her knowledge to good effect for his/her employer? These finds, though increasingly rare and attributed entirely to serendipity, are exciting.

The chest illustrated belonged to a client who admired and loved it, but had not appreciated its rarity or value. It is not inconspicuous and so it is extraordinary that it remained overlooked for such a long time. It belongs to a group of chests called bachelor’s chests and dates to the reign of George II (1727-1760). Like so many names, the true reason for the appellation itself has been lost in the mists of time, although there is nothing to suggest that this ‘label’ was used before the 19th century. However, it denotes a shallow chest with a folding top, which is supported by two lopers (extending arms seen on each side of the top drawer) when the top is folded forward. They were made from the Queen Anne period and most mirror the configuration of this example.

Most bachelor’s chests are larger, as they vary greatly in size and proportions. This one measures 74cm wide by 75cm high and is very petite, adding to its allure. Bachelor’s chests are not enormous pieces and this indicates that they were intended for the bedroom. The purpose of these chests would have been multifarious, but they were used principally as storage units/desks. Some are specifically designed as desks and these examples may be seen with side drawers or drawer surmounts, but this is to be expected, as much furniture was custom-made with particular niches and uses in mind.

What sets this chest apart is its decoration. It is a tour de force of parquetry inlay, exhibiting star, chequer and alternate banding in ebony and walnut, both on the exterior and interior. Even the sides, often neglected, are embellished with a variant of the Star of David. However, its condition was poor, with much veneer detached and missing, and to add insult to injury there had been some poorly executed restoration to some areas of the veneer. Furthermore, it was typically provincial in construction and quality and did not possess superlative figuring or colour. It is for these reasons that the chest did not match the sums achieved for some superb walnut examples. Conversely, had it not been for the decoration and desirable proportions (a much overlooked attribute) it would have been worth a fraction of its selling price, but this bachelor’s chest’s design carried the day and it made a hammer price of £14,000.

Did a gentleman purchase this piece? In these times of austerity, unless the buyer was extremely wealthy (a distinct possibility), it is hard to imagine a wife permitting such a purchase. So, perhaps the future owner is a bachelor? Or, given the number of female captains of industry should we rename the piece spinster’s chest?

Gerry Berwyn-Jones is a senior valuer and auctioneer for Bonhams International Auctioneers. He can be contacted on 01564 732966 or email: gerry.berwynjones@bonhams.com

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