Lot 45

FINE MINIATURE BLANKET CHEST SIGNED J. SHIPLEY WITH ORIGINAL PAINTED DECORATION AND LABELED ON LID "ELLA" ATTRIBUTED TO COSHOCTON COUNTY, OHIO.

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FINE MINIATURE BLANKET CHEST SIGNED J. SHIPLEY WITH ORIGINAL PAINTED DECORATION AND LABELED ON LID "ELLA" ATTRIBUTED TO COSHOCTON COUNTY, OHIO.

Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000

Current Bid: $1,150

(3 Bids)

by Amelia Jeffers
July 30, 2026 11:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
620 E Weber Road
Columbus, OH, US 43211

FINE MINIATURE BLANKET CHEST SIGNED J. SHIPLEY WITH ORIGINAL PAINTED DECORATION AND LABELED ON LID "ELLA" ATTRIBUTED TO COSHOCTON COUNTY, OHIO.
American, 19th Century. Painted poplar. The lift-lid blanket chest with dovetailed case, one drawer with original wire pulls, and folksy shaped skirt with bracket feet. Original brown over ochre "thumbprint" style grained paint decoration with the name "Ella" finger-painted on the lid. Signed on bottom of case, inside drawer cavity "J Shipley". 9.75"h. 12.75"w. 7.25"d.

Cataloguer's note: This chest belongs to a small documented group of miniature chests bearing nearly identical form and decoration: (1) the obvious mate to this chest (labeled "Etta" on the lid and retaining the same style of paint decoration) sold at Garth's Auctions (Delaware, Ohio) on May 24, 2008 (lot 69); (2) an example (no name) sold at Garth's Auctions (Columbus, Ohio) on September 4, 2020 (lot 120); (3) another is referenced as having sold at Garth's Auctions in 1988; (4) object #60.708.1 illustrated in "Treasures of American Folk Art from the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center" (p. 127) (misattributed to New England); and (5) & (6) two examples illustrated in "Ohio Furniture Makers, Volume 2 (p. 69). With the exception of the Williamsburg chest, all have been attributed to Coshocton County, including a full-size blanket chest with a similar paint treatment that was found in Coshocton County and sold at Garth's in May 2007 (lot 138). This is the only known signed example. The 1820 census lists John Shipley and James Shipley living in Berlin (Coshocton County), Ohio, but no further census record has been found.

Provenance: Nancy Goff (Alliance, Ohio); Dave Pusecker (Delaware, Ohio).

  • Condition: Proper left front, side, and rear foot facings have split off and been put back on. The catch for the lid has come off (but is with the chest).

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $25
$500 $1,499 $50
$1,500 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000