Boarded Chest

Stock No 1100 

English Oak boarded chest, circa 1550, of delightful proportions. The top is single boarded with simple concave mouldings to its front and rear. Inside is the original till, there is also a till groove on the right hand side of the back board which indicates that the joiner made an error! The front has been covered with a punched design, even down to the leading edges of the abutted sides, again with concave mouldings to the top and bottom edges. Interestingly, at the centre of the front there is an undecorated space to take a rounded lock. An escutcheon and lock were not fitted however until the time of James 1, circa 1610 – 1620, as were the hinges which were to replace earlier wooden pin-hinges for which the drilled cleats still remain. The social reading of this piece is fascinating as it indicates that the comparatively high cost of the metalware precluded the original purchaser from having strong hinges or a lock of any sort!

The sides have also got punched decoration with double “X” design above the semi-circular cut outs. The construction is typical of 16th Century English furniture of this period with shallow rebates to the front and the back and “elbows” for them to rest on. The whole structure was then nailed together with substantial wrought iron nails. The lock still works, and a modern key has been made to turn it.

Dimensions: Height 53cm, Width 86cm, Depth 42cm

Price: £3950