American: Sea Chest; American; c. 1840; Painted and carved pine; This is a sea chest; or a storage box for a sailor; used to hold clothing and personal items aboard a ship. The name carved at the base probably indicates the chest's owner鈥攁 Jim McDivit of Gloucester; Massachusetts. The letter and numeral on the lid might refer to the ship's name; or possibly to someone who owned it before. This chest was illustrated in the Index of American Design; a Federal Art Project work-relief program that dispatched artists across the country to create a visual archive of American decorative arts during the Great Depression.; Overall: 15 x 37 1/2 x 16 in. (38.1 x 95.3 x 40.6 cm)