A Very Fine and Rare Chippendale Mahogany Block-Front Tray-Top Chest of Drawers, possibly Colchester-Norwich area, Connecticut circa 1780

retains a historic finish and also appears to retain its original rare pierced brass hardware

Jess Pavey, Birmingham, Michigan;
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Hansen, Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan;
Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Dawson, Coleman, Pennsylvania;
By descent to the current owner.

Secondary woods are white pine and chestnut. Chest has once had oval brass pulls from evidence in the finish and extra hole present in drawer face. However the current hardware appears to be period and is located in the original holes. There for it is probable that the current hardware is replace but it is possible that the original hardware was reinstaled at a later time. Overall the chest is in very fine condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This chest of drawer is very rare for having a tray top and having it conform to the front blocking.  A nearly identical chest was found in Salem, Connecticut (see John S. Walton Inc. advertisement, The Magazine Antiques 100, no. 1 (July 1971), p. 4).  Another closely related chest with gadrooning along the base was discovered in Middletown, Connecticut and is now in the collections of the Connecticut Society of the Colonial Dames (see John T. Kirk, Connecticut Furniture: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, (Hartford, CT: Wadsworth Atheneum, 1967), p.38-9, no. 64).