Campaign Dressing Chest

A mahogany campaign combined Dressing Chest and Washstand with oak secondary wood.

The two parts to the top of the chest open to double its width to 50 inches and to reveal a board with cutouts to take a washing bowl and various dishes etc. To the back is a full height section with dividers for taking bottles. The middle part has a removable board with two round cutouts and a plain, removable board below which looks to be later or a replacement. When open the top gives extra surfaces either side of the washing area and each have an internal lid covering a shallow storage area. These lids have a brass slide bolt and a leather tab to lift them open.

The top drawer is hinged to the front to drop on brass quadrants for easier access to the washbowl etc. The middle drawer is fitted with a number of compartments and a central, folding mirror with an adjustable lectern foot. The two compartments to the front are removable boxes. The right sided one has a slide top and dividers to the interior; the left has a hinged top and a plain interior. To either side of the mirror are velvet lined trays to take various tools etc. Below the tray to the right is another tray with a large plated container and a small tray. To the left is a tray to take 6 razors. To the bottom on both sides is a plain well. To the back of the drawer are four low glass bottles separated by dividers. The bottom drawer is plain.

The chest stands on turned legs with brass cupped castors. They have brass bolt fittings to unscrew for travel to reduce the size down to a 'box' with the four legs packed inside the bottom drawer. The sides of the chest have good inset brass carrying handles and the drawers have replaced brass ring pull handles. The locks are all Bramahs and the escutcheons are round disks which are much flatter than a normal Bramah type.

Not all decoration has been forsaken for the practicality of travel but the mouldings to the bottom of the chest and the drawer edges are more restrained with little overhang. For an army officer or empire administrator this would have been a very useful and smart piece of portable furniture. Early 19th Century.