Coffer

Stock No 1062 

English Oak and Elm carved coffer, circa 1690 with original ring hinges and till. This example originates from Devon, almost certainly from Ottery St Mary with its very distinct features. For example the timber is sparingly used with the typical thin panels and carcase, and the substitution of elm for the bottom that one expects from this workshop. The running mouldings up the styles and along the leading edges of the front and side rails are unmistakeably from this tradition. The embellishment of the three lozenges on the front panels is again incontrovertibly a legacy of the decoration used by William Searle, as is the use of the red and blue paint with its cleverly inverted colour scheme for the middle panel. This is a rare example in an amazingly original state. It demonstrates its later date, (post the emmigration of Searle in 1653), by its departure from the latter’s florid carved designs with this almost minimalist deployment of the former workshop’s design practice.

There is a small amount of filler in the lid to cover loss from a knot in the timber.

Dimensions: Width 115cm, depth 46cm, height 62cm

Price: £2950