Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
1840s Chinese Chinese Export Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
Mid-19th Century Chinese Campaign Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Elm
18th Century Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Elm
Mid-19th Century Chinese Tang Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Brass
1920s Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
19th Century Southeast Asian Ming Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century North American Chinese Chippendale Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century Chinese Art Deco Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
Early 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Lacquer
Early 20th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Bronze
1850s French Louis XVI Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Rosewood
1880s Chinese Victorian Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
1850s Chinese Qing Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Bronze
Early 20th Century Chinese Country Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Walnut
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Early 20th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Metal
18th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Early 1900s Chinese Chinese Export Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
19th Century Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
19th Century Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
19th Century Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
18th Century and Earlier Austrian Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
18th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
18th Century and Earlier British Queen Anne Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Early 20th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Elm
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Elm
Early 20th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Wood
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Elm
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
1890s Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Bronze
19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
18th Century and Earlier Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Mid-18th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Mid-18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Lacquer
1920s Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Mirror, Wood
19th Century Chinese Neoclassical Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Leather
19th Century Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Elm
19th Century Asian Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
19th Century Chinese Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers
- 1
Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Antique Chinese Chest Of Drawers?
Finding the Right Commodes-chests-of-drawers for You
Shopping for a commode or a chest of drawers?
Commode is the French term for a low chest of drawers, but it is also sometimes used to denote any case piece with a particularly intricate design. The commode dates to circa 1700 France, where it was used as an alternative to a taller cabinet piece so as to not obscure paneled, mirrored or tapestried walls. Coffers, or chests, which were large wooden boxes with hinged lids and sometimes stood on ball feet, preceded chests of drawers, a fashionable cabinet furnishing that garnered acclaim for its obvious storage potential and versatility. The term commode was also used to refer to a piece of bedroom furniture — a washstand or nightstand that contained a chamber pot.
As time passed, French and British furniture makers led the way in the production of chests of drawers, and features like the integration of bronze and ornamental pulls became commonplace. Antique French commodes in the Louis XV style were sometimes crafted in mahogany or walnut, while an Italian marble top added a sophisticated decorative flourish. This specific type of case piece grew in popularity in the years that followed.
So, what makes a chest of drawers different from a common dresser? Dressers are short, and chests of drawers are overall taller pieces of furniture that typically do not have room on the top for a mirror as most dressers do. Tallboys and highboys are variations of the dresser form. Some chests of drawers have one column of four to six long drawers or three long drawers in their bottom section that are topped by a cluster of small side-by-side drawers on the top. To further complicate things, we sometimes refer to particularly short chests of drawers as nightstands.
Even though chests of drawers are commonly thought of as bedroom furniture to store clothing, these are adaptable pieces. A chest of drawers can house important documents — think of your walnut Art Deco commode as an upgrade to your filing cabinet. Nestle your chest near your home’s front door to store coats and other outerwear, while the top can be a place to drop your handbag. Add some flair to your kitchen, where this lovable case piece can hold pots, pans and even cookbooks.
When shopping for the right chest of drawers for your home, there are a few key things to consider: What will you be storing in it? How big a chest will you need?
Speaking of size, don’t dream too big. If your space is on the smaller side, a more streamlined vintage mid-century modern chest of drawers, perhaps one designed by Paul McCobb or T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, may best suit your needs.
At 1stDibs, we make it easy to add style and storage to your home. Browse our collection of antique and vintage commodes and chests of drawers today.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 4, 2024To identify an antique chest of drawers, look inside and beneath drawers and on the back and bottom for any type of maker's marking. Researching these marks using trusted online resources may allow you to determine who produced your chest and roughly date your piece. If your chest is at least 100 years old, it is an antique. Should you be unable to locate the maker's marks, look at the hardware. Rose head nails, one-piece cast brass pommels on the drawer handles and circular rather than hexagonal bolts may all indicate that a piece is an antique. Keep in mind that hardware may have been replaced at some point and that there are many reproductions of antique furnishings. As a result, you may wish to have a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer complete the identification process if you're unable to identify your chest via the maker's markings. Find a range of antique chests of drawers on 1stDibs.
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