Chest
1450-1600 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Small oak chest, decorated on the front only with recessed carving consisting of two square panels set side by side, containing spiralling floral scrollwork in the Gothic manner. The sides of the front panel are carved with a pie-crust edge. Below is a skirting board, ogee-shaped along the bottom edge and with a carved cross in the centre. There is a fancy iron lock in front, which appears to be an old replacement (there are no holes in the wood corresponding to some holes in the metal flange on top). The side panels are butt jointed into slight recesses in the ends of the back and front panels. The sides carry down to form supports and protrude in front in the form of clawed feet. The back panel does not reach down to the ground. The two top corners of the back panel are carved to form projecting pins on which the lid is hinged. There are hinged iron ring-handles at the sides. Inside are grooves in which were once set the boards that formed trays at each side.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Oak chest, northern European, 1450-1600 |
| Physical description | Small oak chest, decorated on the front only with recessed carving consisting of two square panels set side by side, containing spiralling floral scrollwork in the Gothic manner. The sides of the front panel are carved with a pie-crust edge. Below is a skirting board, ogee-shaped along the bottom edge and with a carved cross in the centre. There is a fancy iron lock in front, which appears to be an old replacement (there are no holes in the wood corresponding to some holes in the metal flange on top). The side panels are butt jointed into slight recesses in the ends of the back and front panels. The sides carry down to form supports and protrude in front in the form of clawed feet. The back panel does not reach down to the ground. The two top corners of the back panel are carved to form projecting pins on which the lid is hinged. There are hinged iron ring-handles at the sides. Inside are grooves in which were once set the boards that formed trays at each side. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by E. Burton |
| Object history | Bequeathed by E. Burton of 45 Victoria Road, London W8, described by Burton as 'late French Gothic about 1500... original iron lock and key and wide handles' [no further information about provenance on RF] Although this small chest was acquired as c1500, it may well be later in date; the broadly late gothic stylistic elements remained in use long after their heyday c1500, but it is also possible that the chest is a 19th century creation intended to pass off as medieval, as suggested by the irregularities in convincing wear, mix of details such as the carved feet and 'pie crust' notching down the corner edges, and what may be implausibly archaic wooden hinge design. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.34:2-1964 |
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| Record created | May 25, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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