American, Madison County, Kentucky
Chest of Drawers, 1805 ‑ 1820
Cherry, poplar, other woods
39 × 39 1/4 × 20 1/2 in. (99.1 × 99.7 × 52.1 cm.)
From the Noe Collection, Gift of Bob and Norma Noe, Lancaster, Kentucky  2015.2.2

Vines and Leaves
In Kentucky, western Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in the region, inlaid vine and leaf motifs often creep up the fronts of chests of drawers and other forms made in the early 1800s. Each cabinetmaking shop developed its own style. Here we see a style associated with Madison County: evenly undulating vines; tiny, teardrop-shaped leaves; a distinctive flower at the top of each vine; and the use of a metal punch to add recessed dots to the leaves and flowers.