Posted 7 years ago
Ainsley
(3 items)
We found this dresser in a shed at an estate sale a few weeks ago, in very sad condition. The marble has several rust stains but is very heavy and thick.
It looks like the glass knobs are replacements since there are very large holes behind them. If so, even the washers from the 'replacement' glass knobs look to be off-kilter and probably hand made.
The wood is very dark inside and out. When we found it the shellac finish was extremely crazed and darkened to the point of being almost opaque black and several spots on the sides seemed to have had a solvent spilled on them to the point where the old finish was basically completely gone (to the bare wood)!
The front drawer panels seem to have a burl-wood veneer and the key holes are even made of carved wood! There are two big wood panels on the back and they seem to have been each cut from a single piece - so a very big tree? The wood part of the dresser is surprisingly light. It doesn't seem to have any feet.
Does anybody know whether this dresser was supposed to have had feet? And if the glass knobs aren't original, what might the original knobs have looked like? Also, could anyone share with me what style of furniture this might be? I will greatly appreciate your thoughts!
Your three- drawer chest is Victorian and probably dates from about the 1850s- 70s.
Marble tops were popular and the base wood looks to be walnut.
Extended feet wouldn't look right with the bottom molding, so I think the base is original as is.
scott
Thanks for your insights Scott! We took a good look under the marble top and found what might be a makers mark - it's just an "O" that seems to have been burnt into the wood under where the marble sits. There is another "O" that looks to have been stamped on in maybe a wax or some other material in a similar location on the other side of the dresser. Could that be a makers mark?