Featured MEDIEVAL ENGLISH CHURCH CHEST?

I found this chest today an Ebay. The lid is only attached by 1 snipe hinge and is super heavy so I couldn't open it for pictures. I hope the pictures I did take are enough to help determine it's age. Thank you inadvance!

 

Sorry for the repetitive pictures.

 

Sorry, the picture I put of one side looks like multiple boards but they are just splits in the wood. Both sides are single boards as is the lid.

 

Very interesting ! Weve got several furniture folks but it sometimes takes a bit for them to chime in. Different time zones etc.

 

Thank you I'll look forward to hearing from them!

 

off the bat I'd say Mexican 1800's........ but..

where did it come from.....
what size is it....

 

Don't necessarily see anything churchy about this. No problem ascribing a couple hundred years to it or so. I don't know about medieval but this is really outside my area of expertise.

 

I have no clue but I find it charming!

 

Thank you! I find it charming too! It is 67" long and came from an estate in Connecticut. It has a cross and chalice carved in it which are church related. I believe most of the European chests from the 1500's and later were paneled to make them lighter. This is single boards and weighs several hundred pounds which makes me think it might pre-date that

 

Could/would you point out the cross to us? And is it only the front panel that is carved? I also don't see a religious theme. Looks more like folk imagery to me which aligns with the quality of the carving. But not my area of expertise.

Debora

 

Yes only the front is carved. The chalice is under the lock. The cross is small in between the chicken and the chalice. Yes it does have a folk art feel to it. It has 2 sets of double snipe hinges but only one is intact. The lid is so heavy those hinges couldn't have lasted long.

 

Thank you. I see the cross now. And that's a chicken and not a dove? An interesting piece. Can see why it would catch your interest, given the naiveté and scale of its carving.

Debora

 

Thanks. It's a chicken the "comb" the red skin on top of it's head is hard to see. It's really cool in person! It's incredible how heavy it is!

 

A bit off topic of a question. Curious, you got his on Ebay? Did they ship it to you or was it a local pick up? Looks like it weighs a ton!

(Wait for others who are knowledgeable about this kind of thing, but whatever it turns out to be, it is very cool and interesting looking!)

 

Thank you. Yes I got it on Ebay. Luckily it was only a 3 hour drive so I picked it up yesterday. It weighs several hundred pounds but 3 of us managed to get it into the car and my son and I dragged into the house on blankets! I see why they started in the 1500's making panel chests to make them lighter.

 

This looks like the same chest, unsold at a Connecticut auction in April this year -

https://www.nadeausauction.com/product/lot-544-continental-lift-top-chest/

 

You're right that is the same chest. Too bad their description didn't add anything to
what we know except Continental and 17th century or earlier which I think we figured out already. I'd love to pin down the country of origin and if it's earlier thhan the 17th century. Thank you for the detective work!

 

I'm not in agreement that "we know" Continental and 17th century.

Debora

 

There...that's better !

 

Thanks!