French Coffer Circa 1480  

Stock No 1133

This magnificent French chest belongs to a small group of what are probably the finest extant examples of 15th Century European furniture.  Its form and decoration display the French Flamboyant Gothic style at its high point and it is obvious that the piece was made for some important aristocrat of State or the Church.

Not unexpectedly, this chest, like the other ones illustrated in the literature, (see below) is incomplete.  The top, plinth and lock-plate have been replaced to allow this important piece to be appreciated more or less “as was”.

The chest is of Oak, and originates from the Parisian heartland of France.

A similar chest from the same workshop can be found in St Boniface Church in Crediton.  Other examples are illustrated in “Le Moyen Age a la Renaissance” by Jacqueline Boccador.

(Dimensions:  Height: 29 inches, Width: 65 inches, Depth: 25 inches)