Chest of Drawers

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Eight different pigments were used to decorate the drawers and sides of this chest. The moldings on the four deep drawers were painted to imitate highly veined wood veneers, and the floral designs on the drawer panels relate to motifs found on inlaid English furniture. Vivid green moldings and orange accents add further vibrancy. When the paint was strong and fresh, the effect must have been dazzling.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art