With its powerful stance and fanciful ornamentation, this capacious chest, lifted high above the floor on elegant serpentine legs, is a remarkable survivor. Inspired by Asian lacquers, the delicate surfaces of japanned case pieces made them the most perishable high-style furniture produced in 18th-century America. Only about 40 examples are known. Such furniture first appeared in Holland and England during the reign of Charles II (ruled 1660–1685). As demand for Chinese and Japanese imports exceeded supply, Western craftsmen quickly discovered that imitation was a profitable form of flattery. They combined whimsical surface ornament with practical Western furniture forms. Closely linked to London, Boston became colonial America’s leading center for japanning. The BMA chest underscores the collaborative nature of American furniture making. Robert Davis probably emigrated from England after completing his London apprenticeship at Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers in 1717. In Boston, he met William Randle, eventually working in partnership with him. By 1735, Davis had married into the family and taken over his father-in-law’s japanning business. Both Randle’s initials and Davis’ signature are on the chest, suggesting that the piece dates from around the time of this union.