Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object |
Chest, Blanket |
Date |
ca. 1825 |
Description |
Painted blanket chest attributed to Shaftsbury, Vermont. Pine with the type of graining often used by artists in rural New England. Swirling design painted on each drawer and on top and sides in shades of brown. Oval brass drawer pulls. Top two drawers are false, concealing a large upper storage area with a lift top. |
Width (inches) |
41.000 |
Depth (inches) |
19.250 |
Height (inches) |
41.000 |
Information |
For nearly forty years, furniture with painted decoration similar to this blanket chest has been linked to the Matteson family of Shaftsbury, Vermont. Though a number of painted chests exist with various Matteson signatures on them, the diversity in their painting styles point to more than one decorator. As is true with almost all painted furniture, this piece could have been made by one man and painted by another. Though the painted decoration varies within the signed Matteson pieces, construction techniques and stylistic details make it clear that they, along with a number of unsigned pieces, were made by a single cabinetmaker or group of related cabinetmakers, who probably worked in or around Shaftsbury. As of yet, it cannot be proven that the Mattesons were either furniture makers or decorative painters. This large family could simply have been owners of the painted furniture. The paint decoration seen on this chest and the other Matteson pieces imitates the bold veneers of cherry, maple, and mahogany used by more urban Vermont cabinetmakers. The top two drawers of the blanket chest are fake. The top of the chest is accessible by lifting the top like a lid. This form dates back to the 17th century in America. Painted furniture offered a simple way for Vermonters to update older forms, like the blanket chest, making them more fashionable. |
Credit line |
Museum Purchase |
Catalog Number |
1983.242 |