Dear Helaine and Joe: I have a cedar chest with a card stapled on the inside that says the chest was manufactured by the Ed Roos Co. of Forest Park, Ill. What is the age and value of the chest? — L.H., Salt Lake City, Utah
DEAR: L.H.: Cedar chests were designed to serve two complementary functions; one was to be attractive places to store linens and woolens when they were not in use, and the other was to kill the moths that fed on these expensive textiles.
It is no myth that the aromatic cedar oil found in red cedar kills moth larvae and repels the adult insects. The United States government had (and may still have) stringent requirements for the production of furniture that is said to kill or control these pesky insects. In order for a manufacturer to claim that his cedar chest would kill moths, the back, ends, bottom and front had to be made from at least 70 percent red cedar heartwood and the boards used in the construction had to be at least 3/4-inch thick.
Cedar chests were most popular during the 1920s, '30s and '40s, and during that time they seem to have been almost necessary household equipment. On many occasions young women received them as birthday or Christmas presents so they could store their trousseaus against the day when they would get married.
Cedar chests were in vogue during a time when American furniture makers were revisiting almost every style that had existed since the 16th century. Therefore, it is possible to find these chests in 20th century interpretations of Chippendale, Queen Anne, Italian Renaissance, Jacobean and Louis XVI — not to mention forms that are called such things as Colonial and Spanish (whatever that means).
In the photographs, the chest in today's question appears to have a rosewood or mahogany veneer over the cedar, which gives it a more formal appearance.
Stylistically, it takes its inspiration from the American William and Mary period with a beaded motif around the lift top and an egg and dart carving below. The front corners are enhanced with leaf carvings, and the ring and ball feet are supported by scrolled brackets.
All this is very nice. But the most interesting decoration on this piece is the oval cartouche on the front that features a carved silhouette of a courting couple in early 19th century style dress. This is a bit unusual, and it will appeal to a wide variety of collectors — especially those who are interested in early 20th century silhouettes.
Most ordinary cedar chests are not very valuable right now, but this one is an exception. Prices for plain examples with no frills start at about $250, but this circa 1930 piece is much above average and should be valued for insurance purposes at between $650 and $850.
Helaine Fendelman is feature editor at Country Living magazine and Joe Rosson writes about antiques at The Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee. Questions can by mailed to them at P.O. Box 12208, Knoxville, TN 37912-0208.