Description
jpg
Category
American Furniture
Medium
wood, a dark cherry color, inlaid marble, brass or bronze drawer pulls
Distinguishing marks
none that i know of
Condition
Excellent
Size and dimensions of this item
3 ft. wide by 7 ft. tall (estimated)
Date Period
1890? likely older
Weight
350 pounds (estimated)
History
the dresser was passed down to me when my grandmother passed away. my aunt told me that it was given to my grandmother when she was a little girl. My grandma was 90 when she passed, so i know the dresser is at least 100 years old, but likely older. my grandmother lived in corsicana, tx but i do not know if that is where the dresser originated. it has a floral motif carved in each of the three drawers and on the mirror frame. two small drawers top the dresser, separated by a piece of white inlaid marble. the dresser remained nearly untouched for 30 years at my grandma's lake cabin until it came to my home in january 2008. i would love to know who made this dresser, it is simply beautiful, from the design to the craftsmanship. the condition is excellent, but the mirror needs to be replaced, other than that it looks great
Price Paid (If known)
inherited
For Sale?
No
Photos
Re: antique dresser
Your dresser is a Victorian piece in the Eastlake style, the style getting its name from Charles Eastlake,
who wrote a book entitled "Hints on Household Taste" in 1868. In this influential book he rejected the ornate decorations favored on earlier Victorian furniture and espoused simpler more incised rectangular lines sparingly accented with machined forms and varying wood types for decoration. The American version of this style were more ornate than Eastlake's original designs, but his name has been forever linked to this furniture ever since.
Demand for Victorian furniture has been in decline this last five years, currently comparable pieces sell for less than $450.00 at auction.
Lovejoy
Re: antique dresser
thank you lovejoy for the info on my dresser. i really appreciate it . i would also really like to know the date and who made the dresser. any advice on how i could obtain this info? no matter how much it's worth it will always be priceless to me, so thanks again for your help!
seastar
Re: antique dresser
Without a label there is no way of determining who made your dresser. For the most part these were mainly large shop or factory made pieces. Eastlake furniture generally dates from the early 1870's through to the 1890's, the earlier pieces made in dark hardwoods such as mahogany and walnut the later 1890's examples being in oak, ash, elm, maple and basswood. From what I can see of the images yours dates about 1880.
Lovejoy