Tea Chest

Place Made
Piedmont Virginia United States of America
Date Made
1790-1800
Medium
American black walnut –light wood inlay –maple
Dimensions
HOA: 7 1/2; WOA: 12 1/8; DOA: 6 3/4
Accession Number
4057
Description
DESCRIPTION: Tea chest with domed top mounted with brass bail, hinged over a chest containing 3 tea boxes (lids missing), these separated from a section of unknown use by thin board partition, the whole mounted upon ogee feet and decorated with geometric inlays with engraved silver diamond-shaped device. The top is lined with red wallpaper.

WOODS: American black walnut with light wood inlay, soft maple strip applied to box top, soft maple for two caddies, yellow pine bottoms and one caddy, American walnut caddy dividers.

INSCRIPTION: engraved “SL”

History
The chest descended in the Burwell Leavell (1775-1847) family of “Cloverdale” in Spotsylvania County, to his son John Minor Leavell (1824-1894) to a daughter Anna Nannie Leavell who married Edwin Smith Blackwell of “Clifton” in Fauquier County. One of his daughters married Charles Hugh McClung and they lived also at “Clifton,” and their daughter Lucy, who changed her name to Blackwell, married Edward Smith, and continued at “Clifton,” where the chest was photographed in 1977. (FLH)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Nathan Sapp