Two Tasmanian Colonial period Australian cedar ‘pole’ chest of drawers, the left c1830, supplied for Enfield, Bishopsbourne, Tasmania, the home of William Field (1774 -1837), Government butcher & his convict publican mistress Elizabeth Richards. With beautifully carved, acanthus wrapped ‘quilled on the cann’ half columns & sub rosa panels.
The right, with two ‘lum hat’ drawers, with a receipt found in the back to Adophus Rooke (1812-1881), brewer & farmer of Deloraine, c1840
Both with crossbanded tops, good ribbon cedar throughout, the same turned handles, quarter round turned bead mouldings inset, half columns (giving rise to the term ‘pole’ or ‘column’ chests), cockbeaded drawers, on turned feet on similar stepped breakfront blocks.
By comparison with Scottish cabinet maker made regional chests of drawers, illustrated in Bernard D Cotton’s ‘Scottish Vernacular Furniture’, it is suggested that both of these were made by the same as yet unknown Scottish cabinet maker, working in North Western Tasmania. Had they been trained in the workshop of Thomas Simpson of Edinburgh, c 1830 -50?
It is genuinely rare to find any regional ownership history of furniture, documented. Now to the wonderful Westbury Museum (home of Jimmy Possum chairs), to see what they may know.
BOTH SOLD