This dowry blanket chest is believed to be made for Maria Sierer in 1771. The chest has a long Pennsylvania history and was previously on display at the William Penn Memorial Museum. While we don't have any pictures of it in the museum, we do thave the receip of the insured amount of $2000.00 when the museum returned it to its previous owner in 1968. Monroe Fabian, a past curator at the National Portarai Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute wrote "Monroe Fabian's 1978 edition of The Pennsylvania-German Decorated Chest". This significant work is relied on by scholars, collectors, and curators to identify the accepted standard of decorated chests. In his book, the author refers to an unknown artist who made these chests and prior to 1771 added engaging human figures into his painting design on the chests.  Post 1771, the artist changed from painting human figures to painting pots with flowers. This chest is believed to have come from this artist of which at the time of Monroe Fabian's book, there were only three examples known to exist.   While all our information is based on research, we can only assume by the design of the chest, hardware, and painting design, that this chest is one described by Fabian. An official appraisal has not been done specific to this chest.  Please feel free to have an independent appraiser, familiar with these chests stop by to examine it.