Bermudian Furniture

I am most interested in the early Bermudian cedar chests- on- frames. They offer various design qualities, which are particular only to Bermuda and the cabinetmakers’ workmanship is impressive. Unlike American blanket chests, these chests are set on a carved and usually scrolled base with legs and feet representing the various design fashions of their time.  The earliest (1623-1700) show an “onion” foot coming off a turned leg resembling an early candlestick or a large rounded bottom onion form. Later (1710-1740), the cabriole curved leg often ended with a “Spanish” foot, somewhat similar to a Philadelphia “trifid” foot with its carved sectioned foot. The most popular design was the Queen Anne one (1730-1780) with its cabriole legs and carved pad foot. A full trifid foot has been found on Bermuda furniture but is rare. From 1740-1780, a few chests with well-developed ball and claw feet have been found resembling a Philadelphia Chippendale style. Later (1770-1800), many chests had straight squared legs with some showing a Chinese Chippendale influence with carved open work side brackets where the leg returns to the apron. From 1790-1840, the chests become much plainer with straight legs, straight edged aprons without the earlier wave and scallop designs. Some in this period and later have heavily turned short feet. Cedar was the only indigenous wood growing in Bermuda, but a few pieces of furniture and a couple of chests have shown up made of mahogany which was probably traded with a ship from the Caribbean for something Bermuda could offer. Cedar, as a wood, takes on a beautiful warm and mellow color. 

The most regional feature of a Bermuda chest on frame is the wonderful decorative dovetailing on the front of the chests. This particular embellishment is not seen in other places and, while there are few definitive clues as to who the particular cabinetmaker may have been, it is thought that each cabinetmaker had his own brass template for his design. Unfortunately, no one kept appropriate records to determine whose design and work was whose. The only thing well recognized is that Bermuda cabinetmakers were creative and capable and this special dovetailing was more evidence of their craftsmanship. 

For further information, please refer to Bryden B. Hyde’s book “Bermuda’s Antique Furniture & Silver”, For The Bermuda National Trust, Baltimore, Maryland, 1971.