Thomas Jefferson wrote:
>
> I have recently acquired a chest of drawers for my personal use
> that provenance says is C. 1840, Shanondoah Valley, Virginia.
> The piece has had lots of restoration done to it and I am
> wondering if the brasses/drawer pulls are original to the
> piece. They are in the Chippendale style and have "ENGLAND"
> stamped on the handle or on the back of the plates. My
> questions are this: When did it become common for "ENGLAND" to
> be placed on brass work and was it common for drawer pulls to
> be imported and placed on vernacular American pieces?
>
> Please respond to my e-mail address below. Thank you in advance.
>
> Robin Gabriel
> Director of Education
> Monticello, The Home of Thomas Jefferson
> P.O. Box 316
> Charlottesville, VA 22902
> (804) 984-9854       E-mail: [log in to unmask]
> Monticello URL: http://www.monticello.org
You are correct in suspecting the brasses on hour chest of drawers. It
was not common for export items to be marked with the country of origin
until the 1890s, suggesting that they are replacements. It would also be
unlikely that a piece made in 1840 to have Chipendale-style brasses,
also suggesting that they are replacements. In response to your second
question, yes, it is quite common to find English brasses on American
furniture, at least in 17th and 18th-century furniture. By 1840,
however, there were numerous domestic sources. Hope his was of some
help.
--
Wade Lawrence                       |   407-897-6350 (voice)
Historic Presrvation Officer        |
Orange County Historical Museum     |   407-897-6409 (fax)
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