Oak with a lid of chestnut or elm (?)
With a small shield shaped silver plate engraved with the initials EH
The lid of two long planks with mitred mouldings all round and cleats held by 6 pegs. Compression set shrinkage has led to opening up between the lid planks and a fillet has been added. One of the strap hinges has been replaced and is held with screws. The lock and hasp appear to be replacements while the escutcheon could be early.
With a till at proper right, the nulled lid of which has broken. A corresponding bruise appears on the chest lid where the till lid was conventionally used to prop the chest lid

The panels at the right end show scrub plane marks, but neatly vertical where this tool lends itself to being used in any direction. The ploughed grooves running to the floor on the legs are inconsistent (a feature noted by Charles H.Hayward, Period Furniture Designs, 1956, pp.6-8): proper right rear with two grooves, proper left rear with no grooves, both front legs with a single groove. Hayward suggested that an apprentice may have made these inconsistently, or that a plough with the cutter set near the front could have been used, running out into ready-cut mortises.

The bottom formed by 5 planks nailed up (hand made) with bird’s mouth joints.

Overall, authentic construction techniques (eg setting out marks), with undisturbed pegs and hand tool marks (eg pit saw marks on the rear panels), persuasive wear (the rear legs with bruising have worn about 1.5cm) give this chest the outward appearance of authenticity, and stylistically could be linked to East Anglia (see for example pulpits illustrated in Herbert Cescinsky & Ernest Gribble: Early English Furniture & Woodwork. Vol. II. (London, 1922), figs. 55-61.) though elaborate arches are also found in other counties such as Kent and Herefordshire. However the interior is implausibly sharp and clean, and an applied dark stain visible at the left end with the lid raised appears to have been added recently on fresh oak. Moreover the front panels (somewhat suspiciously busily ornamented, especially with punchwork at the corners, and scale pattern on the pilaster flutes) have been constructed in an unlikely manner: instead of the panel with narrowed edge sitting in a groove cut into the framework, and mouldings applied, here the ‘panel’ is actually pinned from behind into the deep egg-and-dart carved moulding that runs all round. This moulding is jointed (with a squared tongue) into the stiles and muntins. The arches have been applied (glued) over the front of the ‘panels’. Additionally the double-sided (a very unusual feature) notched muntins on the ends and back appear to have been run-through a mechanical cutter. The only likely explanation is that the chest was made to deceive probably shortly before it was acquired by the Museum.