Items Similar to Frances Elkins Attributed Mahogany Block-Front Chest with Silverplate Pulls
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 11
Frances Elkins Attributed Mahogany Block-Front Chest with Silverplate Pulls
$25,025
$38,50035% Off
£19,134.55
£29,437.7735% Off
€21,918.77
€33,721.1935% Off
CA$35,295.39
CA$54,300.5935% Off
A$38,414.91
A$59,099.8635% Off
CHF 20,527.56
CHF 31,580.8635% Off
MX$463,905.54
MX$713,700.8335% Off
NOK 257,981.12
NOK 396,894.0435% Off
SEK 239,952.46
SEK 369,157.6435% Off
DKK 163,743.53
DKK 251,913.1235% Off
About the Item
A refined and unusually rare block-front chest attributed to iconic American designer Frances Elkins, celebrated for her ability to fuse classical vocabulary with the crisp restraint of modernism. While most examples of this model were rendered in softwood and finished in lacquer or silver leaf, this version is distinguished by its construction in richly figured mahogany and elevated further by original silverplate teardrop pulls—an elegant combination of tactile richness and sculptural clarity.
Best known for her iconic loop chairs—an enduring symbol of her design legacy—Elkins brought the same sculptural sensibility and historical fluency to her case pieces. A key figure in early American modernism, she developed a uniquely American design language that merged 18th-century European forms, surrealist flourishes, and pared-down modern silhouettes. Though often linked to the early expressions of Hollywood Regency, her approach was more cerebral than theatrical, prioritizing balance, form, and proportion. She collaborated closely with her architect brother David Adler, and her interiors—layered yet edited—influenced a generation of designers including Michael Taylor and John Dickinson.
This chest exemplifies Elkins’ philosophy: a classical form reinterpreted with modern confidence. While versions of this design have surfaced at auction in a range of finishes and price points, few offer the material depth and visual rigor seen here. Sculptural, versatile, and historically resonant, it would be equally compelling in a collected traditional interior or a curated modern setting.
- Attributed to:Frances Elkins (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 42.5 in (107.95 cm)Depth: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1945
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. As found in very good vintage shape.
- Seller Location:Kilmarnock, VA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU883045842612
About the Seller
4.8
Vetted Professional Seller
Every seller passes strict standards for authenticity and reliability
Established in 2004
1stDibs seller since 2009
173 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 2 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Kilmarnock, VA
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View AllEarly Grosfeld House Cabinet
By Grosfeld House
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
Grosfeld House Cabinet made from crotch mahogany veneer with very very impressive solid brass pulls, inside the cabinet has drawers, most likely for linens, and silverware originally...
Category
Vintage 1940s American Cabinets
Materials
Brass
$2,500 Sale Price
44% Off
Swedish Deco Marquetry Cabinet by Reiners
By Reiners Möbler
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A masterwork of Scandinavian craftsmanship, this striking cabinet was produced by Reiners Möbler of Mjölby in the 1930s. The facade showcases richly det...
Category
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Cabinets
Materials
Birch, Elm, Mahogany, Satinwood
$7,680 Sale Price
20% Off
Rare Lajos Kozma Bar Cabinet or Secretary
By Lajos Kozma
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A visually arresting and exquisitely crafted bar cabinet or secretary, attributed to Hungarian architect and artist Lajos Kozma, dating to the 1930s. The front showcases a masterfull...
Category
Vintage 1930s Hungarian Modern Secretaires
Materials
Walnut, Rosewood
$11,600 Sale Price
20% Off
Lacquered Low Chest by Dunbar
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A handsome and versatile custom chest attributed to Roger Sprunger for Dunbar, newly reimagined in a warm faux ivory finish that lends the piece a refined, textural elegance. With it...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Pair of French Provencal Directoire Style Commodes
By Maison Jansen
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A rustic yet handsome pair of 1950s Italian fruitwood chests crafted in the French Provincial Directoire style. With their clean lines, tapering legs, and restrained neoclassical det...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Directoire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Fruitwood
$6,375 Sale Price / set
25% Off
Stunning Italian Modernist Wall Cabinet by Silvio Cavatorta
By Silvio Cavatorta
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A stunning example of postwar Italian design, this multifunctional wall-mounted cabinet attributed to Silvio Cavatorta showcases the refined geometry, material richness, and modular ...
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass
$10,800 Sale Price
40% Off
You May Also Like
19th Century mahogany bowfront chest
Located in Martlesham, GB
A superb quality early 19th Century mahogany bowfront chest of drawers, having a nice figured top above four graduated oak lined drawers with brass engraved oval plate handles, shape...
Category
Antique 1820s British Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mahogany
$2,122 Sale Price
20% Off
20th Century English Antique Edwardian Flame Mahogany Serpentine Chest
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is a good quality flame mahogany serpentine chest, having a well figured and cross banded top, above an arrangement of four graduated drawers, each cross banded and inlaid, ...
Category
Early 20th Century English George III Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mahogany
French Deco Era Four Drawer Mahogany Chest
Located in Troy, MI
Circa 1940s French four drawer chest in mahogany features brass trim and hardware, turned front legs with brass capped feet. Unknown maker.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
19th Century English Mahogany Chest of Drawers
Located in High Point, NC
19th century mahogany chest of drawers from England. The top has wonderful graining and a beveled edge, following down to simple sides, which are single board panels. The piece has t...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mahogany
Rare early 19th century American Late Empire inlaid mahogany Bowfront Chest
Located in CHARLESTON, SC
A rare and important Antique American mid-Atlantic region Late Empire Inlaid mahogany large Bowfront Chest of Drawers with checkered inlays, rosewood crossbanding (inlay), half-turne...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century American Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
English bow front mahogany chest on Bracket feet, five drawer
Located in Houston, TX
This English chest is a well made piece of furniture. It has
Five drawers that slide easily and have locks and key
That function well. The front has a gentle bow front that
Gives a ...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century British George III Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mahogany
More Ways To Browse
Loop Chair
Loop Chairs
20th Century Silver Leaf Chairs
Block Front Chest
Art Deco Cabinet Pulls
Plinth Dresser
Pulaski Furniture Cabinet
Romweber Vintage Dresser
Rway Furniture Mid Century Modern
Side By Side Dresser
Simmons Vintage Furniture
Thomasville French Provincial
Vintage Dixie Dresser
Witco Style
1930 Mahogany Dresser
1940s Wood Dresser
1950s Bedroom Mahogany Dresser
6 Drawer Teak Dresser