Freshfords Fine Antiques has dated these Victorian Laburnum Wellington Chests to the Victorian era.
The five graduated drawers are constructed with solid ash linings and fine dovetail joints, fitted with veneered laburnum drawer fronts. The drawers retain their gilt brass locks, ring turned ash key escutcheons and solid turned ash knobs, complemented by the contrasting cross banding throughout.
The pair of Wellington chests retain some of their original internal dividers, with some now missing, while still providing generous and practical storage. The sides are treated with the same level of attention as the fronts, with the ash banding cross banded against the long grain laburnum veneers, suggesting they were commissioned for a prominent interior where the sides were intended to be visible.
The quality of construction and choice of materials point towards a prosperous Scottish workshop, with the unusual use of laburnum and ash reflecting the importance of the commission. The bold proportions and careful execution of the veneers suggest a client who required furniture of both practical use and visual impact.
The Wellington chests are raised on laburnum plinth bases and have a particularly substantial outline, being considerably larger in scale than the standard Wellington chest. Their generous proportions and refined use of contrasting timbers make them an unusual example of this nineteenth century form.
Freshfords Fine Antiques has dated these Victorian Laburnum Wellington Chests to the Victorian era.
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Victorian Laburnum Wellington Chests by Wylie & Lochhead
