Cedar or juniper, Portuguese (Azores), ca. 1600

Chest, the front engraved with a design emphasised with black paste. The design on the chest shows 3 panels within arches against a chequer-board background, with flanking panels of a crane-like bird, and a central panel with a rearing lion; along the sides and top edge are panels with S-scrolling fishy monsters, and corner quatrefoil flowers. Two pilasters either side of the central panel depict flowers on a scrolling stem.

The lid has three ring hinges (original), only the central hinge holding (2015). There is an internal lock (apparently original) without the catch.

At the right end inside, a till is missing. The upper edges of the front, back and side boards have been punched with a repeating pattern of daisy flowers linked by hatched swags.

Construction
The chest with mitred dovetails of a complex pattern. The front consists of three boards, the back of three boards. The lid consists of 3 boards, to which are nailed 3 edge battens along the ends and front. The left side consists of 2 boards, the right side of 3.

Modifications
The till missing. The bottom with a loose board (2015), and a mousehole on the left side. The chest would originally have been supplied with a stand.

Timber identification
The wood has not been identifiied microscopically, but samples from analagous pieces have been identified as Juniperus brevifolia or Juniperus oxycedrus, both known colloquially as types of cedar.

Bought for £10 from Mrs Marshall of Tiverton (Devon)
Display history: Apparently at Bethnal Green Museum at an early, unspecified date. Transferred to Circulation 1950 (RP 51/175). In 1968 the chest was on loan to Bristol City Art Gallery.
1976 - displayed in room 65, then to store in Lafone house (and later to Blythe Road).
Part of base found in BH in 2012 by Kate Hay, given no. TN.1-2012, reincorporated into object Dec 2015.

For discussion of this type of chest see,

Coelho, Maria Inês Simões, A Chest among Chests, RCA/V&A History of Design Programme, January 2016, Unpublished MA essay Royal College of Art/V&A Museum

Felgueiras, José J. G. Jordão, "A propósito de uma curiosa arca", in Artes & Leilões, nº 16, Outubro 1996, pág. 57-60

Felgueiras, José J. G. Jordão, "O desconhecido Mobiliário Açoreano do Século de Ouro. "A propósito do despropósito contador de Argote", in Revista Museu, IV série, nº 11, Porto, Círculo Dr. José de Figueiredo, 2002, pág. p. 77-99

Dias, Pedro, “O Fabrico de Mobiliário na Ilha Terceira, no século XVI”, in Manuelino, À descoberta da Arte do tempo de D. Manuel I, Ciclo de Exposições Internacionais do Museu sem Fronteira, Pedro Dias co-aut (Lisboa, Museu sem Fronteiras, 2002)

Bastos, Celina, ”Mobiliário”, in Colecção da Fundação Abel de Lacerda, ed.coord. by Madalena Lacerda Gouveia (Caramulo: Museu do Caramulo-Fundação Abel Lacerda, 2003) pp. 132

Frutuoso, Gaspar, Saudades da Terra, Livro VI, 1586-1590 (Ponta Delgada, Instituto Cultural de Ponta Delgada 1998)

possibly Azores

This coffer belongs to a group of furniture that may have originated in the Portuguese islands of the Azores in Portugal using native timber. Characteristics include visually prominent joints and incised decoration accentuated with dark resin.

301-1878