Long circa 1800 Gothic Style Oak Board Trunk from France

Whereas many pieces of furniture during the Italian Renaissance were heavily painted or inlaid with decorative motifs, French examples utilized hand-sculpted elements as the predomin...

Based on the facing portrait cartouches on the front facade, this chest was most likely presented to a couple for their wedding in 17th-century Northern France. The oak wood has a deep brown patina that accentuates the hand-carved frontage, depicting a man (on the left) facing a woman (on the right), surrounded by scrolls and a sprawling foliate margent. A quarter-round edge embellishes the lid, which can be opened to reveal deep storage, including a 5 ½ inch tall side compartment. Several thin layers of molding can be seen on the low profile apron above small bracket feet. A chest like this would have been offered as a wedding dowry, most likely commissioned by the parents of the bride or possibly even by the husband himself. The chest would have been used to store valuables for the couple’s new life together, with the wrought iron handles on the sides allowing the chest to be easily transported. Our 17th-century wedding chest can be used functionally as a small storage chest for a bedroom or bathroom or displayed as a well-carved room...

Often when centuries-old trunks did not survive the passage of time, 19th-century menuisiers (French woodworkers) would salvage the surviving wood and carve new furniture such as desks and similar trunks. The facade was typically the most ornate section of these antique trunks, making intact frontages highly valued antiques. Hand-carved from oak in Picardie, France, circa 1550, this period Gothic architectural is a beautiful example of an antique trunk facade that was not incorporated into a more recent furnishing. Picardie is a former administrative region in northern France that is home to many Gothic cathedrals. The Amiens Cathedral (mid-13th century) is the largest standing cathedral in Europe and is truly a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Our trunk frontage has five vertically oriented inset panels embellished with various forms of Gothic tracery, including high-arching niches...

Chests are one of the oldest pieces of furniture, as ancient Egyptians first used them around 3000 BC. During the early Renaissance, taller chests, such as this French oak coffre chest...

France / 16th century / bridal or blanket chest / oak / Gothic This impressive chest was hand-carved in solid oak in the 16th century in France. The construction is typical of very...

exceptional late 15th century/early 16th century carved oak Gothic period chest from Northern of France. Very fine example of a flamboyant Gothic style chest with a superb carved f...

19th century hand carved oak blanket chest from England. The top has three panels, following down to a plain paneled back and sides. The front is the real star of this chest. It has ...

Early 18th Century English Oak Coffer / Trunk with Paneled Top & Carved Detailing