Toy Doll Chest of Drawers Handmade Wisconsin

Antique

US$225.00

Dimensions

Item number: 5535

This charming handmade pine chest of drawers comes from Appleton, Wisconsin. It features three drawers with two turned wooden knobs and a hand cut one, all with a dark stain. The boards that support the drawers are dovetailed into the side fronts. The round tin mirror is set into a scalloped frame; the apron is also scalloped. The bootjack sides form the front and rear legs; there's simple scalloping on the mirror stand and the apron. It's solid pine throughout, with a medium brown finish that is finely alligatored on all outer surfaces.

Handwritten on the back of the mirror panel in pencil is '"Glyta Klansky Tigerton, Wis" followed by letters and numbers. Glyta Klansky (1903-1996) was born in Morris, Wisconsin, married Arthur Klansky in Wittenberg, WI, and passed away in Tigerton, WI...each town 7 miles from the other. We can imagine Glyta's father...or grandfather...making this for her in the small town they lived in (the population of Morris in 1910 was 710), adding details that she might not notice but satisfied his desire for good workmanship.

The piece stands 11 inches tall to the top of the mirror frame; the top of the chest itself is 7 inches high. The drawers are each 1 5/8 inches deep; the overall width is 8 inches at the overhanging top and 7 3/8 inches across the bottom. From front to back it measures 3 1/2 inches and it weighs 1 1/2 pounds. There are no stops on the drawers, so they slide all the way out easily. This is not dollhouse piece but was meant to hold dolly-sized things.

For a child's plaything, this bureau is in remarkably good condition. There is a tiny chip at the top left corner of the mirror frame (shown), not obvious as it's the same color as the rest. The mirror has darkened over the last century but is intact. The bottom drawer had a chunk knocked out of the right front corner and was "repaired" (shown in our photos) and Glyta couldn't resist scribbling in pencil on some of its surfaces. There are a few small darkened areas on the top of the chest but there is no other damage and this chest of drawers is a country primitive delight that can hold lots of small items, but also stand on its own and be admired.

PYH 5535