Taunton Chest

ca. 1736

Robert Crosman American, 1707-1799

On View

American, Level 2, West Wing

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About the Artwork

The front of this painted pine chest has an ornate pattern that was likely inspired by the striking motifs printed on imported cotton textiles. Scrolling vines sprout from the ground on the lower drawer front, blooming with bold flowers. Two birds fly toward one another on the lower drawer, and another perches in the center. While the colors today have faded to dull yellows and creams, they would have originally shown a range of white, yellow, red, green, and blue pigments. At the top, partly obscured by the brass keyhole escutcheon, the maker painted “AC” and “1736.”

Carpenter and drum maker Robert Crosman made this chest in Taunton, Massachusetts. The “AC” probably refers to his sister Abigail Crosman (1714 – 1791), who married Caleb Thompson of Taunton in 1736. Robert likely made this chest as a gift on the occasion of his sister’s marriage. About thirty chests attributed to Crosman’s hand survive.

Title Taunton Chest

Artwork Date ca. 1736

Artist Robert Crosman

Life Dates 1707-1799

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. American

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. ----------

Medium Pine and brass

Dimensions Overall: 31 1/4 × 35 3/4 × 17 1/2 inches (79.4 × 90.8 × 44.5 cm)

Classification Furniture

Department American Art before 1950

Credit City of Detroit Purchase

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 47.82

Markings

Inscriptions Inscribed, center of top panel: A C | 1736

Provenance

Abigal Crosman;
Stephan H. Nash;
Israel Sack, Inc.;
1947-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

For more information on provenance, please visit:

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Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.

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