Scrimshaw mahogany miniature chest of drawers in the American Empire style, American, circa 1840. The chest has at the top a small added two drawer section with a broken arch pediment. This section has inlaid mother of pearl circles, quarter circles, diamonds and whale ivory drawer pulls. The main chest has a molded top above four graduated drawers with similar inlays at the top section. In the Empire style, the sides of the chest have split whalebone shaped columns with wax filled green and dark blue sealing wax scribe lines. The three lower drawers have diamond shaped inlays at the center with miniature false key holes set into the diamond mother of pearl inlay. Below the top drawer and at the bottom of the chest is a series of mother of pearl inlays which appear in a “saw tooth” pattern. Below
the columns are mahogany blocks that protrude from the box with square mother of pearl square inlay embellishments. The whale ivory feet have bulbous turnings with scribe lines also with sealing wax inlay. The sides of the box have recessed panels with the edges trimmed in whalebone. The drawers are dovetailed joined and all the out side edges are trimed with whale bone and the chest has unfinished mahogany panels with the initials in large black ink “JAI”.
Condition: The box is extremely well preserved and has a fine untouched patina. (SC1282)
Dimensions: Height 15"; Width 12.25"; Depth 6.75" inches.
Reference: "Ingenious Contrivances. Curiously Carved, Scrimshaw In The New Bedford Whaling Museum", by Dr. Stuart Frank, Published by David R. Godine, 2014, Page 258. The box is extremely similar but smaller than the one illustration page 258 upper left.
