Blue-painted Dovetail-constructed Sea Chest

Blue-painted Dovetail-constructed Sea Chest, Massachusetts, early 19th century, the underside of the lid painted with American eagle above a shield, flags, and cannons, and lettered "S. C. Sprague" and "Marshfield," the chest with fitted interior with a variety of tools including a plane, a saw, a needle case, a skull and crossbones-painted box, original painted surfaces, ht. 17, wd. 36, dp. 18 1/4 in. Note: This chest is mentioned in an October 9, 1970 article in The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, Massachusetts), which covered the "[Captain Stephen C.] Sprague Auction," held at W. Torrey Little's in Marshfield, Massachusetts, on Labor Day, 1970. The article reads, "there are two Sprague sea chests, one used by Stephen as a young seaman, and the other, much more elaborate, employed during his many years as a captain. Both are chockfull of his possessions... the fancier of the two chests bears, on the interior, the likeness of an elegant American eagle..." In telling of the competition between two bidders for this lot, the author writes "we didn't get the name of the gentleman [the present consignor], but because he has acquired the painting of Sprague's ship Helen Clinton [by Yorke, lot 251 in this auction] he is now extremely anxious to also possess the chest with the eagle, as this is the very same one used aboard the vessel in the painting. So he bids, and [Marshfield historian] Dr. [Arthur A.] Wills does, too, and then they proceed to run neck and neck, you might say Read more…