Welsh Dresser, Circa 19th Century - Price: $4,200 in Martinsburg, Iowa

Welsh dresser made of English Oak. Circa 19th Century.
In America we use the term ?dresser? to refer to a chest of drawers for holding clothes. But in fact we find the roots of the word ?dresser? in the medieval French term dressoir or dressing board, which simply means a place to "dress the food."  In sixteenth century England, a dresser was a long utilitarian table, perhaps with a set of shelves on the wall above, placed in the kitchen where servants dressed the food before serving it at the dining table in the great hall.
But why do we call them ?Welsh? dressers? Dressers were made all over England, Scotland and Wales from the late seventeenth through the nineteenth century. But the term dresser has become synonymous with Wales, probably because of the large number of high quality examples that have come out of there. Welsh craftsmen were known for their skill and individuality, and dressers from Wales tend to have an abundance of decoration and added features like scalloped cornices and pierced aprons, while English dressers are, as a rule, plainer. No matter where they were made, no two dressers are ever alike. Inevitably there will be variations in decoration on the top cornice, the arrangement of drawers and cupboards, and the style of legs. Dressers were made with whatever wood was at hand - pine, elm, or fruitwood, but most are oak. It was easy to split, stood up to wear and tear, and had a beautiful grain and color.
This beautiful dresser is an unusual small size and can be viewed at the Patriot Antique Center, 615 West King Street, Martinsburg, WV  xxxx1 -- () -.