Block-front pieces are usually made of mahogany or maple and are found with the straight bracket, ogee bracket, or bird's claw and ball feet. The fronts of the drawers are cut from a block of wood sufficiently thick to make the convex and concave surfaces. The surfaces are almost universally broken into two convex surfaces on the outside and a concave one of the same size at the centre. This blocking was usually carried through the bottom moulding and often onto the feet. Occasionally the drawers overlapped, but, as a general rule, they were Hush with a bead moulding on the frame about them. There are two distinct types of blocking, one where the edges and the surface of the blocks are almost straight (Figure 119), and the other where the blocking is a continuous curve (Figure 131). There are also two ways of making the drawer fronts. The usual way is where the depressed centre section is back of the plane of the drawer front, thus:

The other is where the depressed section is on the same plane with the drawer front, and the effect of the depression is obtained by making the raised portion with two raised sections, thus:

Chest on Chest, 1750-75.

Figure 116 shows a block-front chest on chest in the Bolles Collection. The cornice- mouldings are the quarter-round, the fillet, the cove, an astragal, a fillet, and small cove. The cornice is scrolled and the centre ends are finished with rosettes, and three flame finials finish the top. The drawers overlap and the arrangement of drawers in the upper pari is the same as that found in the high chests of drawers. For this reason we place this piece among the early examples of the style. On the stiles are fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals; on the centre drawer at the top is carved the rising-sun pattern, and the four long drawers below are slightly blocked by cutting out the centre section. The blocking in the lower section, however, is exceedingly good. On the surface of the upper drawer are carved two convex shells and one concave shell, and the two drawers below are blocked in such a way that the shells on the upper drawer seem to finish the top of a continuous blocking. This ii the usual method, and the shell carving indicates that the piece belongs to the southern New England type of block-hunt pieces, but the cornice mouldings are not of the Rhode Island type. The chest stands on bird's claw and ball bracket feet and the skirt is cut in a design suggestive of the Vitruvian scroll.

Figure 116. Block-Front Chest on Chest, 1750-75.

Figure 117. Block-Front Chest on Chest, 1750-75.

Figure 117 shows a little later chest on chest which is the property of Smith & Heck, of Philadelphia. The cornice is composed of the same mouldings as those on the preceding figure, but at the centre the scrolls are finished with a return moulding instead of a rosette, and three flame finials finish the top. The upper drawers are curved under the cornice and the centre drawer is carved in the rising-sun pattern. Fluted pilasters finish the stiles on the upper part and the drawers are flush with bead mouldings on the frame about them. The lower section has four drawers handsomely blocked, and the blocking extends onto the straight bracket feet. The piece has large willow brasses. This is the type found in northern New England.

A rather unusual block-front chest on chest is shown in Figure 118 which is the property of Mr. H. W. Erving. The cornice consists of a quarter-round, a fillet, a cyma recta, two fillets, a cove, and a quarter-round. Rosettes finish the inner ends of the scrolls. On the centre upper drawer is carved a rising-sun pattern. The edges of the stiles are recessed and quarter-round fluted columns are inserted. About the drawers is a canal moulding which is unusual on such a late piece, as are also the five drawers in the lower part, there generally being but three or four. The piece stands on ogee bracket feet.

Figure 119 shows a block-front chest on chest, the property of Mr. Nathaniel Herreshoff, of Bristol, Rhode Island. The cornice mouldings differ a little from the regular Rhode Island type and consist of a quarter-round, a fillet, a cyma recta, a fillet, a cove, an astragal, a fillet, and a small cove. This same moulding appears on the scrutoire (Figure 270), as do also the boxes at either end of the scrolls. The carved shells, the finials, the astragal, fillet, and cove, carrying about the circular opening at the top, the bracket feet with the extra scroll carved on the inside, are points found only on the Rhode Island type.

A splendid block-front chest on chest in the Bulkeley Collection is shown in Figure 120. It will be seen at once that it belongs to the southern New England type. The cornice is the same as is found on the Rhode Island pieces and is cornposed of a fillet, a cyma rcversa, a fillet, a cove, an astragal, a fillet, and a small cove. Rosettes finish the inner ends of the scrolls and spiral finials are on the top. A carved shell design finishes the surface of the centre acroterium. The blinking on the upper part extends to the lower part through the mouldings at the base and onto the ogee bracket feet, giving the piece a tall slender appearance. The blot kings are surmounted with shell carvings, but it will be noted that they are quite different from the usual type in that they are composed of reedings without being separated by concave sections. (See preceding figure.) In the upper section the outer blocks are narrower than the centre concave one, and in the lower section the convex blocks are enlarged and the concave one correspondingly decreased. In the corners are inserted spirally twisted columns. The mouldings separating the two carcasses and at the base are unusual and consist of a cove, a fillet, a quarter-round, a fillet, a cove, and a fillet.

Figure 118. Block-Front Chest on Chest, 1750-75.

Figure 119. Block-Front trust on Chest, 1750-75.

Block-Front Chest on Chest, 1750-75.