The height of this chest of drawers was made possible by dovetailed construction, an interlocking joinery technique that began to be widely used in the American colonies in the early eighteenth century. Because of its strength the dovetail enabled cabinetmakers to use thinner panels of wood to construct taller, more elegant forms. On this chest, the expensive veneer of burled oak was applied only to the front face, emphasizing that view as the most important; the sides and back were left unadorned.