How can you tell if a chest is antique?

To tell if a chest is antique, first examine its materials and details carefully. An antique chest is one produced 100 years ago or more. This generally predates the use of engineered wood, particleboard, plastics and other synthetic materials. As a result, an antique chest usually features solid wood construction.In addition, antique chests are likely to be handmade, so you should be able to spot subtle signs that indicate this, such as tool marks and small irregularities in any carvings. If a piece looks flawless and regular, it is unlikely to be antique. Locating a maker's mark and then researching when the manufacturer was active can also help you date your chest. Alternatively, you can use the services of a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antique dealer to learn more about your chest.On 1stDibs, shop a large selection of antique chests.

How do I identify an antique chest of drawers?

To 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.

Antique Cherry Chest

Austria Chest

French Cherry Commode

18th Century Cherry Furniture

Cherry Wood Veneer

Biedermeier Cherrywood

19th Century French Chest

1820s German Biedermeier Antique Cherry Chest

Materials

Cherry Federal Chest of Drawers

Unavailable

H 37 in W 41 in D 19 in

Cherry Federal Chest of Drawers

Located in Woodbury, CT

This chest is of the first half of the American Federal period know as the Hepplewhite form.

Category

19th Century American Antique Cherry Chest

Inlaid Hepplewhite Cherry Bow Front Chest Connecticut River Valley

Unavailable

H 35 in W 43 in D 23 in

Inlaid Hepplewhite Cherry Bow Front Chest Connecticut River Valley

Located in Providence, RI

This chest is an outstanding example of Connecticut exuberance and makes a dramatic statement in any room. Note the magnificent drop pendant. They don't come any better in the world ...

Category

19th Century American Hepplewhite Antique Cherry Chest

Materials

Cherry

19th Century French Cherry Wood Chest of Drawers

Unavailable

H 35.83 in W 47.25 in D 20.08 in

19th Century French Cherry Wood Chest of Drawers

Located in Salisbury, GB

An unusual 19th century French cherry wood chest of drawers with brass handles and set on brass feet.

A French Provincial Style Cherry Commode

Unavailable

H 32 in W 48.5 in D 24 in

A French Provincial Style Cherry Commode

By Derapage Design

Located in San Francisco, CA

The planktop with molded edge is supported by a stalwart rectilinear body with three solid cherry convex drawer faces with working, locking drawers. Available in other sizes and wood...

Category

18th Century and Earlier American Antique Cherry Chest

Unavailable

H 30.7 in W 43 in D 16.1 in

Pair of Commode Chests of Drawers

Located in Edenbridge, Kent

He was cousin of King Louis XVI. This fine pair of cherry wood commode chests of drawers would be ideal as bedroom chests of drawers next to a bed, or placed in a very smart drawing ...

Materials

Brass

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By Peter Glassford

Located in San Antonio, TX

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By Michael Cutler

Located in Ferndale, MI

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Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Antique Cherry Chest

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Aluminum

Kai Kristiansen Pair of Rosewood & Leather Ottomans

$4,756 / set

H 15.75 in W 19.69 in D 14.57 in

Kai Kristiansen Pair of Rosewood & Leather Ottomans

By Kai Kristiansen

Located in London, England

Kai Kristiansen - Rosewood & Leather Ottomans, c1950s. A pair of ottomans designed by Kai Kristiansen as part of the 'Entre' series in the late 1950s and produced by cabinetmaker Ak...

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1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Antique Cherry Chest

Materials

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Pair of Country French Pine Library Bookcases Beveled Glass Doors

$20,000 / set

H 96.25 in W 96 in D 22.5 in

Pair of Country French Pine Library Bookcases Beveled Glass Doors

Located in Rio Vista, CA

Amazing pair of matching country French bibliotheque library bookcases or display cabinets featuring beveled glass windows and doors. Constructed from mostly pine with a whitewash pa...

Category

20th Century French Country Antique Cherry Chest

Materials

Iron

"Il Pezzo 1 Black Credenza" ebonized sideboard - Marquinia top - bronze base

$11,140 / item

$17,500

H 7 in W 35.5 in D 11.75 in

Wall Console Sculpted in Oak by Jacques Jarrige

By Jacques Jarrige

Located in New York, NY

The Carnac floating console by Jacques Jarrige is a sculptural wall-mounted piece that embodies the artist’s signature interplay of fluid form and functional design. With its softly ...

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2010s French Antique Cherry Chest

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Oak

Large 19th Century French Directoire Period Painted Bookcase or Display Cabinet

$15,900

H 119.5 in W 71 in D 28 in

Large 19th Century French Directoire Period Painted Bookcase or Display Cabinet

Located in Birmingham, AL

This exceptional mid-19th century French Directoire period painted bookcase or display cabinet from Gordes, circa early 1800s, embodies the elegance and craftsmanship of its era. Han...

Category

1860s French Directoire Antique Cherry Chest

Materials

Wood

Widdicomb Antique French Regency Louis XVI Green Lacquered Dresser Chest

$3,295

H 34.5 in W 51 in D 22.88 in

Widdicomb Antique French Regency Louis XVI Green Lacquered Dresser Chest

By Widdicomb Furniture Co.

Located in South Bend, IN

A gorgeous antique French Regency Louis XVI style four-drawer dresser or chest of drawers By Widdicomb USA, Circa 1920s Green lacquered carved mahogany, with original brass hardwa...

Category

1920s American Louis XVI Antique Cherry Chest

Materials

Brass

19th Century Chinese Canopy Wedding Bed

$15,884Sale Price|50% Off

H 102.37 in W 99.61 in D 72.84 in

19th Century Chinese Canopy Wedding Bed

Located in Marbella, ES

This is a wonderful example of a canopy bed from Shanghai Province, China. Made of Chinese Northern Elm, this bed features hoofed feet and multiple floral carvings. The exterior ...

Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Cherry Chest

Materials

Gold Leaf

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Antique Cherry Chest For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the antique cherry chest you’re looking for. Each antique cherry chest for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, hardwood and cherry. There are many kinds of the antique cherry chest you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 18th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. An antique cherry chest, designed in the Louis XVI, Louis XV or Neoclassical style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. You’ll likely find more than one antique cherry chest that is appealing in its simplicity, but Biedermeier and Pierre Macret produced versions that are worth a look.

How Much is a Antique Cherry Chest?

An antique cherry chest can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $5,276, while the lowest priced sells for $272 and the highest can go for as much as $189,000.

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.

Questions About Antique Cherry Chest

How can you tell if a chest is antique?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertSeptember 9, 2024
To tell if a chest is antique, first examine its materials and details carefully. An antique chest is one produced 100 years ago or more. This generally predates the use of engineered wood, particleboard, plastics and other synthetic materials. As a result, an antique chest usually features solid wood construction.

In addition, antique chests are likely to be handmade, so you should be able to spot subtle signs that indicate this, such as tool marks and small irregularities in any carvings. If a piece looks flawless and regular, it is unlikely to be antique. Locating a maker's mark and then researching when the manufacturer was active can also help you date your chest. Alternatively, you can use the services of a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antique dealer to learn more about your chest.

On 1stDibs, shop a large selection of antique chests.
How do I identify an antique chest of drawers?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertNovember 4, 2024
To 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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