bombe' chest

Bombe’Chest

Figured Bubinga, Ebony

42”W 32”H 22”D

The Bombe’ chest is a traditional furniture form developed by the French. It can stand alone as this one does, or be used as a lower chest of drawers in pieces like the secretary and chest-on-chest.

This piece was one of my first attempts at creating a contemporary interpretation of a traditional form.

The cabinet and drawer fronts were shaped from stock that was over 3” thick. All the shaping was done with hand tools. The front not only bulges at the bottom (similar to the sides), but also has a serpentine shape running from side to side. All cabinet framework and drawers are hand dovetailed and the drawers are trimmed with ebony beading. There is an ebony panel in the top of the cabinet. I used intarsia technique to inlay a bubinga calalilly plant into the panel.

Bubinga is an African wood. This stock is highly figured. It came in large slabs that were several feet wide and about 10 feet long – very heavy! The ebony is also African – this came from Gabon.