The clothespress-used for storing linens and other textiles in many drawers, including some hidden by the doors of the upper case-was a relatively rare form in American furniture. This is one of a small group made in Boston; each features a closed, deeply curved pediment, derived from Anglo-Dutch furniture. The clothespress was made for Boston merchant Gilbert DeBlois, probably near the time of his marriage to Ann Coffin, in 1749. DeBlois (whose portrait hangs nearby) was a Loyalist who fled to England during the Revolution, leaving his family and property behind. His wife managed to retain or reacquire family possessions, and the clothespress remained in the family until it was acquired by the Museum, in 1987.

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