Miniature Chest of Drawers by André Joseph Villard

Miniature Chest of Drawers by André Joseph Villard

Tom Newton also contacted antiques dealer Sumpter Priddy III about a minature chest of drawers which he sold a few years back. I want to publicly thank Sumpter for providing a fine photograph of the chest in question, as well as his description of the item, part of which I have inserted below.

Object: Miniature chest of drawers


Maker: Possibly André Joseph Villard (1749-1819)

Origin: Probably Washington, DC

Date: Circa 1800

Dimensions: Height 17 1/2”, width 21”, depth 14 1/2”

Medium: Mahogany primary with light and dark wood inlay; yellow pine secondary

Condition: When recieved, the chest survived in fine condition. Later partitions had been added inside the top drawer, the hardware had been replaced, approximately an inch and a half of “barber pole” banding was missing, the right front leg had a small unsympathetic veneer repair, and the piece had been refinished.

The chest was conserved by F. C. Vogt of Richmond, Virginia, in December of 2006; he removed the later drawer partitions, replaced the “barber pole” inlay and and the old veneer repair, removed the later finish, applied several coats of shellac and finished it with a coat of paste wax.

Commentary: This rare miniature Southern chest hails from the bench of a remarkably accomplished artisan whose construction techniques clearly indicate that he was trained on continental Europe during the late eighteenth century. Five pieces can be attributed with certainty to this shop, which was most probably situated in northern Virginia or the District of Columbia. In addition to this chest, work by the artisan include two cylinder secretaries, a cylinder desk, and a tall case clock,1 which are unified not only by their distinctive inlays, but by their heavy reliance on French stylistic conventions and construction techniques.