An Exceptional Quality Late 19th Century Mahogany And Satinwood Wellington Chest Of Drawers, Having Superbly Figured Rectangular Top With Inlaid And Crossbanded Decoration, Over Seven Mahogany Lined Drawers With Profuse Inlaid Decoration And Original Brass Handles, Flanked By Inlaid Pilasters, Raised On Original Plinth Base.

The first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, commissioned the first chest of this type, i.e. a tall bank of drawers secured by hinged locking pilasters to take with him and carry around various battlefields and that is where the name wellington chest comes from. It is now used to refer to almost any tall, narrow antique chest of drawers.

From around 1820 onwards they were manufactured in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, plus they varied a great deal in terms of both their quality and the wood which they are constructed from.

This particular wellington chest is one of the very best of its type, constructed from very high quality mahogany timbers, using mahogany for its secondary timbers and boasting exceptionally fine inlaid decoration. It is of a design, style and quality which is rarely found.

As always one of the big advantages with a chest of this form is that it offers a different and more unusual perspective to the room in terms of its height and proportion. Also of course the drawers are incredibly functional when used for items that you don’t wish to be buried at the bottom of the much larger drawers which can be found in conventional antiques chests of drawers.

As with all the items which we offer for sale, this Wellington Chest has been attended to in the traditional manner at our workshops before being offered for sale, by our highly trained and skilled antique furniture restorers including a light clean and natural wax polish to ensure that it is in retail condition and ready to be placed immediately into the home or workplace.

Circa 1890.

Height 43.5in.
Width 23.5in.
Depth 16in.