This bank of painted wooden drawers have certainly lived a life and have character in abundance. Dating to the latter part of the 19th century they probably originated as a bank of built-in shop drawers - judging by the labels; "Ordinary Blade Bolts - 52p" / "Starter Cord - 80p" - they ended their days of service in a hardware store.

 

The drawers are painted a wonderful dark blue-y green and over the years they have developed the most wonderful craqueleur surface. The brass handles have bronzed (several have worn their original mounting point away and been re-located higher / lower on the drawer front). Evidence of paper labels fixed to the upper middle of the drawer fronts remains. The second drawer in from the upper left and the lower left drawer display truly fantastic levels of wear with whole sections of the upper edge worn away through years of opening + closing / pulling through cord / thread. 

 

It's likely that the drawers would have originally been built in and there's line of paint part way across the right-side to evidence this. Unlike many though they're fully backed and have a good, clean bare wood top. 

 

The piece measures 1.33m wide x 38cm high x 35cm deep. 

S/N: #1603