Very rare Regency medicine chest (c. 1820 United Kingdom)

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12.25inch wide    18.50inch high    8.25inch deep (31.11 cm wide  46.99 cm high  20.95 cm deep)

A very rare Regency medicine cabinet in well figured mahogany profusely inlaid in brass and marquetry, with recessed brass handles to the top and all drawers and all on original gilt metal feet. The twin doors open to reveal twenty three various sized medicine bottles nearly all of which have their original labels and contents, in the main cabinet there are a bank of three drawers with sliding tops for various powders, over a single drawer which is currently empty, this over a further drawer containing a mortar and pestle and six more small medicine bottles, again with labels and contents, the base of the cabinet has a further large drawer which contains weighing scales and four porcelain topped glass ointment jars, all with labels and contents, a hidden recess in the back of the cabinet reveals a compartment for five further medicine bottles and probably were originally for narcotics and poisons.
This style and size of the chest, the recessed handles and the ring bolts to the sides would tend to indicate that this example was to be used on campaigns or by a navy surgeon and whoever owned it, he was a wealthy man as the quality is sumptuous, a similar example to this is at the Science Museum.