"...The terms dresser and 'dresser and shelves' were used in all areas for pieces in the service rooms of the larger houses, with a combined 'table and dresser' found at Wynnstay in 1683, but these were utilitarian fitments. The origin and evolution of the dresser as a moveable and decorative piece, which became one of the enduring hallmarks of the national tradition, was not the same in all parts of the country. It probably did not start as a sophisticated piece, but evolved from other forms that were current, combining features found on articles intended for either storage or display. In the south-east a built-in style of plain construction, but with elaborate pierced decoration to the ends on view as the room was entered, formed part of a regional type that had developed around the border area in the first half of the 17th century. In the south and west the forerunners may have been free-standing utilitarian 
dairy dressers, like the 'frame for shelves' recorded in 1682, and been open underneath like the 'table dresser' referred to in the same document. From the early years of the 17th century significant quantities of butter were produced not only for the local markets but for export to Bristol, and the utensils and containers required may have influenced the principal form of dresser in this region, which had an open shelf or potboard at the base. In the Severn valley and surrounding moorlands it may have had its origins in a particular style of long side table which was also found across the border ..."
dairy dressers, like the 'frame for shelves' recorded in 1682, and been open underneath like the 'table dresser' referred to in the same document. From the early years of the 17th century significant quantities of butter were produced not only for the local markets but for export to Bristol, and the utensils and containers required may have influenced the principal form of dresser in this region, which had an open shelf or potboard at the base. In the Severn valley and surrounding moorlands it may have had its origins in a particular style of long side table which was also found across the border ..." .
Excerpt above taken from:"Welsh Furniture 1250 -1950: A Cultural History of Craftsmanship and Design"
By Richard Bebb. Published by Saer Books
© Copyright 2007 Country Antiques (Wales) Ltd
