Date: Fri 13-Nov-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: DAVIDS

Quick Words:

Hadley

Full Text:

Hadley Chest Garners $110,000 At Douglas

By Rita Easton

SOUTH DEERFIELD, MASS. -- An October 9 auction held at Douglas Auctioneers

offered a much publicized lot, an Allis & Belding one-drawer Hadley blanket

chest, circa 1700.

Made for one of the Nathaniel Dickinson family, as several members of that

family married into the Belding family, it bore the initials "ND." It remained

in the Belding family until being consigned to auction by the estate of

Barbara Belding Clapp. While the chest appeared to be all original, it had

been refinished. Some remnants of the original color remained, which may have

included traces of blue on the carved panels, barely distinguishable because

of the artificial light in the gallery.

According to a Connecticut Valley historian who wishes to remain anonymous,

the chest falls into category 3A, as described by Pat Kane of Yale, author of

the Hadley chest classification guide. Published approximately 20 years ago,

the scholarly work differentiated between the Hatfield type, the Hartford

type, and the more standard type of Hadley chest, which she assigned a "group

3" status, with sub-categories.

The lot retained its original full feet, original top, and "wonderful color in

the back and throughout," the expert related, "and although it had been

refinished and didn't have its original color, it bore traces. ...It's a

joined chest made principally of oak, with the secondary wood being hard pine,

so that the rails and panels which are visible, three panels in front and a

couple on the sides, are oak. The drawer bottom and the backboard, including

the original nailed-on lower backboard, are made of hard pine, and the top is

made of hard pine. Very often on these chests, that nailed-on backboard that

covers the back of the drawer is missing or replaced. One of the nice things

about this chest is that the backboard was there."

The tulip and leaf motif, which distinguishes all Hadley chests, is the common

theme. While a tulip was a popular decoration of the period, only Hadley used

the leaf and tulip (a motif which had no antecedent in England or America) in

strict, automatic conformity, although used by many different makers. While it

probably connoted something of meaning to the Connecticut Valley makers, the

significance has faded into oblivion with the passage of time.

The lot crossed the block at $110,000, plus 10 percent buyer's premium,

purchased by John Trace who was bidding for Leigh Keno. "We purchased the

chest at Douglas for stock," said Keno, "and we were thrilled to get it for

that price. It has a dark color, its original top and full height on its feet.

Its oak runners are also original. The drawer sides are unquestionably

original. It's a wonderful textbook example."

"Although there are Seventeenth Century Anglo inspirations in the design of

Hadley chests, they are purely American and unique to the Hadley area," stated

Keno. "Their carving decoration is extraordinary. The fact that there is still

a great deal of research to be done regarding their makers also heightens our

interest in them," he said.