Featured SMALL WOOD CHEST WITH 1671 DATE

I just purchased this chest at auction. It is small 26" x 17" x 14". I believe these old clock spandrels were added to an older chest in 1671 because the date is carved around the center decoration. It has broken snipe hinges and boot jack sides. It is very warped which you can't see in the photos.

 

Craftsman would never split their wood without a pilot hole first.! Looks like newbie fix.

 

Are you talking about the split on the top? That's from years of the wood expanding and contracting

 

Heavens no - I'm talking about the 2 wooden "Straps" nailed to it that split/bent over nail! That's is pure shoddy craftsmanship applied to the original chest that will drive down the collectibility/price. Now it is no longer "Original"

 

If they weren't nailed down with handmade nails like they are I'd remove them. As you can see there's much older braces holding it together. Since this is a very old repair I'm going to leave them. It's all part of the long history of this object.

 

I may have been wrong about something. I think the Grandfather clock spandrels may be later than 1671. If that's true then the 1671 date is most likely when the chest was made.

 

Nice chest, chris, I'm sure it will look great after some TLC.

I don't think those decorations are specifically grandfather clock spandrels, or clock related in general. I have seen wooden boxes and chests with those metal decorations before. It is a certain style, they were made like that.

 

Thank you for the info. I agree I have 17 Grandfather clocks from the 17 and 1800's and I was having problems dating them as Grandfather clock spandrels. Please tell me what you know about this style of decoration I'd appreciate it!

 

I don't know anything specific, just that I have seen boxes and chests with this type of embellishment before, and they were made like that.

 

Thanks

 

That’s a very cool looking box. It deserves to be on display.

 

Thank you!