Commode Chest of Drawers
Description
This is one of a pair of serpentine fronted chests of drawers made for Ninian and Penelope Home and supplied to Paxton House in 1774 by Chippendale Snr.
Each of the four drawers is fitted with a lock for personal possessions to be secured away. The fitted top drawer has adjustable thin mahogany compartments for dressing equipment, though not all remain intact. The surfaces are veneered in flame mahogany which came from Jamaica, cut down by enslaved people. The interiors of the drawers are constructed of oak with a pine bottom board with a red wash.
The serpentine design dates from the Rococo period of the mid-18th century and appeared in Chippendale’s design book of 1754. This type of ornate commode chest of drawers was intended for the very best bedrooms. They were usually placed in a window pier and paired with a pier glass.