The Lost Code

Dresser

First quarter of the 19th century
Pine, brass
H. 90 cm
W. 112 cm
Dressers derived from chests, which were eventually equipped with drawers. They appeared in France in the late 1600s and emerged in New France in 1723. Like all storage furniture, dressers could be locked. However, not all the drawers necessarily had locks. Some keyholes were purely decorative, as is the case here. Like tables and desks, dressers were usually covered with a cloth. Dressers became increasingly commonplace in Québec in the early 1800s, but remained inaccessible to French peasants during the same period.
Musée de la civilisation collection, 63-78