Astounding Ancient British 17th Century Bible Box

Exceptional early French coffer chest having a single plank top faced with a moulded edge and with a later iron hasp. The front has a beautifully carved gadrooned frieze above three ...

Gorgeous highly carved oak trunk featuring rich Renaissance figures with lots of floral and leaf motifs. The top opens to reveal plenty of storage, while closed it may be used as a ...

18th century oak carved bible box. Intricate design, original hardware and still in good condition considering its age.

A good antique English, Charles II (Carolean) period carved oak bible or document box, circa 1680. Such boxes were particularly popular in the 17th century, when printed bibles were very expensive and a treasured family possession. The bible was most likely the only book owned by a family and was also the means of recording births, deaths & marriages which would be written on the flyleaf or endpapers. They were also used to protect other important documents and valuables and were brought to colonial America by early settlers. This bible box dates shortly after the English Civil War & the brief time that England was a Republic (known then as the Commonwealth) under Oliver Cromwell. The box typifies those Puritan values, simple six plank construction with a hinged lid enclosing a storage area for a bible or important documents. The front of the box having a carved foliate twin lunette design with a hand cut steel lock & hasp above, the box is robust & solid & for it's 350 or so years it is in very good condition! This very early antique carved bible box...