Hampton

Federal style, 1790-1810
Baltimore

Chests of drawers of this type were the essential piece for providing storage space for clothing in bedchambers in the Federal era. This small chest of drawers, with its two top drawers over three graduated drawers and cupid’s-bow shaped skirt, is of a design favored by Maryland cabinetmakers. A similar simple chest with flat front can be seen on Plate 52 of George Hepplewhite’s The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide (1788, 1794), an English design book which greatly influenced local cabinetmakers.

Mahogany, poplar. H 93.4, L 94.6, D 53 cm 
Hampton National Historic Site, HAMP 19965