Valuables Cabinet made by James Symonds of Salem, Ma. in 1679. He built four of these cabinets in 1679, three as wedding commissions, and one for a private owner. This one is a replica of the one at the MMA, New York.
The primary wood is white oak, the turnings are of maple, all wood was riven from my firewood supply. The mouldings in the octagon are 18th century white pine with the points showing their oxidized color.
I made alterations and enhancements to this and His cabinet. 1) I used the moulded top from the Pope cabinet at the Peabody Essex Museum, ( the only one with a moulded top including the back edge). 2) I 'let in' all of the interior drawer dividers into the sides, top and into themselves, (blind). 3) I made a brass escutcheon instead of iron. 4) The stippling in the carved sides is altered. 5) I painted the center top moulding black, three of the originals are not painted black. I made this one for myself and a replica of the Pope cabinet for a Hartford Connecticut client in 2011. Joseph and Bathsheba Pope's ( the original owners ) Cabinet was sold at Christies in New York in 2000 for $ 2,495,000. It was in original condition, but missing one piece of moulding in the center octagon and one drawer, of ten, inside ! I don't believe there is any other 1st Period piece of furniture that has ten drawers, in the Colonies before 1700. A masterpiece indeed !!