ENGLISH · VICTORIAN · MAHOGANY
A handsome antique Victorian mahogany bow front chest on chest, combining generous storage with elegant proportions, richly figured timber and restrained architectural detailing.
Constructed in mahogany with a gently bowed façade, the chest is arranged in two substantial sections and offers an excellent combination of smaller and full-width drawers. The warm colour, attractive grain and traditional brass lion-mask ring handles give the piece considerable period character.
Period
Victorian
Origin
England
Material
Mahogany
Form
Bow Front Chest on Chest
Key Characteristics
- Antique Victorian chest on chest
- English manufacture
- Richly figured mahogany
- Elegant bow-fronted form
- Two-part tallboy construction
- Two smaller upper drawers
- Multiple graduated full-width drawers
- Brass lion-mask ring handles
- Decorative carved upper frieze
- Raised on shaped bracket feet
- Excellent practical storage
Design & Proportion
The chest follows the classic English chest-on-chest format, with the upper section set above a slightly projecting lower chest. Its gently bowed front gives the otherwise architectural form a softer and more elegant profile.
A moulded cornice crowns the piece, enriched beneath by a decorative carved frieze. The main body is arranged with two smaller drawers above a sequence of graduated full-width drawers, creating a balanced and highly practical composition.
The lower section continues the bowed profile with two smaller drawers above further graduated drawers, giving the chest considerable storage capacity while retaining relatively compact floor dimensions.
Mahogany & Cabinetmaking
The mahogany has developed a rich warm colour and attractive depth of figure across the drawer fronts. Variations in tone and grain are particularly effective across the broad bowed surfaces, giving the chest considerably more visual interest than a flat-fronted example.
The two-part construction reflects the traditional chest-on-chest format and also makes the piece considerably easier to position and move than its overall height might initially suggest.
The drawers retain traditional brass ring handles mounted on decorative lion-mask backplates, complementing the rich mahogany and reinforcing the chest's period character.
Practical Storage
One of the strengths of the chest-on-chest form is the amount of storage it provides within a comparatively narrow footprint.
With numerous drawers of varying sizes, this example provides ample room for clothing, linens and personal belongings, making it particularly suitable for a bedroom, dressing room or substantial hallway.
At over two metres high, the piece has significant visual presence while using vertical space extremely efficiently.
A Traditional English Statement Piece
With its tall architectural silhouette, gently bowed façade and rich mahogany colour, this chest has the presence expected of substantial Victorian bedroom furniture while remaining genuinely useful for modern living.
Its combination of attractive timber, extensive storage and restrained decorative detailing allows it to work equally well within a traditional period interior or as a strong antique focal point within a more contemporary setting.
Offered by Hawkins Antiques, family antique furniture specialists since the 1960s.
