"Decorated Dower Chest

attributed to Centre County, late 18th century, pine throughout, interior fitted with candle box, original iron strap hinges and lock, painted surface with rich salmon ground, lid edges with traces of blue, case corners with wrapped heart motifs, front elaborately embellished with ibis, parrot, leopard, fish, heart and tulip motifs surrounding two central tablets, all on an mustard/ocher ground, original ebonized bracket feet, modern paint by Peter Dean, 1978, 27-1/2 x 51 x 23 in., surface wear and paint abrasions especially to front and top (possibly dry-scraped?), otherwise good condition, one rear foot bracket pieced and with replaced brace Provenance: Private Collection Reserve: $7,000 A closely related chest, also attributed to Centre County, is illustrated in Fabian, [The Pennsylvania-German Decorated Chest,] color plate 243. Fabian notes that it is ""one of a small group of chests of a highly individual character from Centre County. None of them is inscribed with an owner's name or date, but the source of the designs is certainly the fraktur of Henrich Otto or the Flat Tulip Artist"". Another example with nearly identical decoration was sold Christie's New York, The John Gordon Collection of Folk Americana, January 15, 1999, lot 237."