DESCRIPTION: The object is a rectangular wooden tabletop chest measuring approximately 19 1/2 x 24 3/4 x 13 1/2.” The chest is made of wood and stands atop four turned, rounded feet. Two hinged doors open at the front of the chest to reveal 16 small drawers and a center lockable compartment that houses a large cavity, two additional small drawers, and a hidden drawer. There is a small key in the hidden drawer that inserts into the front escutcheon, though it no longer appears to be functional. An iron-alloy handle and two decorative hinges are present on the narrow ends of the box, attaching the front doors. Matching central escutcheon plates are present on the two front doors; only one of the two has a keyhole. The exterior surfaces of the box and drawer fronts are finished with dark wood veneer and ivory and/or bone marquetry. Marquetry on each of the drawer fronts is floral and elaborate, with urns and scrolled elements, while that on the exterior of the box is more minimal, with rectangular and L-shaped designs. Many of the inlaid pieces appear to be engraved ivory; no strong blood vessel system is visible within the dense off-white material, and a faint wavy (cloud?) pattern appears to be present. However, the long thin strips of white material that create the rectangular outlines may be bone, as they appear slightly less dense/more translucent and feature small dark pits or lines (typical of haversian system). The ivory or bone inlay exhibits whitish fluorescence; this color fluorescence is characteristic of both materials. A plating metal may be present on the surfaces of the metal handles, possibly zinc, tin, or nickel; XRF analysis is recommended for further identification.

I inherited this from my grandmother about 55 years ago