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THE SERGEANT FAMILY MINIATURE CHEST OF DRAWERS.

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THE SERGEANT FAMILY MINIATURE CHEST OF DRAWERS.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ca. 1820, in mahogany veneer and pine. Four drawers, each with crotch mahogany veneered fronts and resting on turned feet. Decorated with string inlay on the drawers and a star on the top. Retains a fine, old finish and its original pulls. One leg repaired. 15 1/2"h. 15"w. 10"d. Ex Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little, sold at Sotheby's, New York, October 21-22, 1994, lot 1041.

The interiors of the case and drawers retain numerous, period, ink inscriptions. Two drawers are labeled for their contents ("Children's drawer cloths", "Bonnet drawer", and "Ladies cape and caps collar drawer") and two more drawers, as well as the inside-back of the case, include provenance connecting this chest to the Sergeant family of Philadelphia.

According to research conducted by Elizabeth Orenstein, the inscriptions in the chest refer to Margaretta, Sarah, and Kate Sergeant, the daughters of John Sergeant (1779-1852) of Philadelphia. He served as Congressman, deputy attorney general, and as a political and legal advisor to the Second Bank of the United States. The chest passed from from Margaretta to Sarah to Kate while the girls were all young and almost certainly using it for their dolls' clothing.

In March 1911, the chest was purchased at Matzyer sale by R.H. Stearns in Boston by Mary Louisa Trumbull Cogswell Roberts.

See Orenstein, "The Sergeant Miniature Chest", an unpublished paper prepared for Sotheby's American Arts Course, 1994.

Condition: Some of the drawers have some regluing and later nail stabilization. The bottom drawer has been rebuilt using the original front, but a mix of old and newer wood on the drawer "box". As cataloged, one back leg is repaired - the other has a pieced repair. There is a report in Sothebys catalog but we do not have a copy of it. Chests of this size and quality are rare.

Descriptions provided in both printed and on-line catalogue formats do not include condition reports. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Interested bidders are strongly encouraged to request a condition report on any lots upon which they intend to bid, prior to placing a bid. All transactions are governed by our Conditions of Sale.

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