Sugar Chest

Sugar Chest Probably Adair County, Kentucky 1820-1840 Cherry, walnut, and poplar Private Collection

Sugar Chest
Probably Adair County, Kentucky
1820-1840
Cherry, walnut, and poplar
Private Collection

In the Southern Backcountry the bottle case gave way to another, more flexible, form: the sugar chest.  Sugar chests traditionally have only one divider and are better suited for storing a wide range of goods – including sugar and alcohol.  The maker of this sugar chest in Adair County, Kentucky, left little doubt about its intended contents: he inlaid its front with a decanter and pair of goblets.