Dating a old chest

[tombear]

Ok this should probably be posted elsewhere but what the heck, this is my home from home!

today at 6.15 ( not the 8.30 to 9 as promised) we were delivered of this thing.

An oak,

The inlaws sent it from the cottage in Wales they are getting rid of as herself has a fondness for it. As far as I can tell its quarter sawn oak, some bits have beens applied later like new hinges where there was wire hinges, the moulding strip at the bottom that a dogs chewed is nailed on, there's signs that the locks a replacement. Theres a small lidded candle box on the top left side under the lid. There's no history to it, it's been in a 17th century cottage kitchen for as long a the wife can remember but it could have come out of a skip in the early 1970s prior to that.

Does anyone know how to date and place such things? If its just late Victorian ill do more to restore it than if its really old. At very least I need to find out how to clean it and make some correct to period polish.

The joints are pegged, some bits of decoration look like they have been added later.

Any thoughts?

ATB

Tom

 

[Goatboy]

I'd say older than Victorian, at least 18th century but I'm no expert. Just what I took in through osmosis from my fathers years of dealing. Locks often go missing/get replaced on boxes and chest. Through wear, loss of keys and fashion.
Are the legs a continunation of the corner pieces? Or are they seperate stubs?
Also what's the woodworm hole count? Not many old bits are free from it, though it's not past a forger to drill the odd wee hole to fake them.
It certainly looks the part from the photo but the legs are bothering me for some reason.
Nice piece and would look good in any house I think.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[tombear]

Cheers, the legs are continuations of the sides (stiles?) and the lower parts are pretty chavelled with small amounts of worm on one front and one back leg/foot. It looks like some sort of trim like on the bottom front used to be on the sides, the front trim that's 1/3rd missing and the rests damaged, looks like a later addition. It's had a hard life but cleaned up and polished will be a useful bit of furniture. It feels old rather than made to look old if you know what I mean.

its all beyond my ken, I tend to lose interest on stuff bigger than salt or candle boxes!

atb

tom

 

[tombear]

Update, after emailing her mum for more information it seams it has been in her mums family for a long time, she remember playing in it in 1943 when in a house Cornwall so it's not Welsh at all. And it had been in her fathers family for "yonks" before that and they have always been well to do, not landed but wealthy enough to have portraits and decent furniture way back when.

ATB

Tom

 

[Fraxinus]

It is often things like nails that can date a piece i.e. whether forged or mass produced and the type of tool used to form mortises, sadly to find this out means deconstructing the piece.
If it is something made by the person who originally owned it, home made, then style may not follow the fashion or techniques employed professionally at the time.
Looks like a nice chest so I'd be inclined to just tidy it up.

Rob.

 

[Robson Valley]

I keep looking at the choice of designs in the relief-carved(?) panels.
Do those patterns rise and fall in popularity over the centuries?

 

[tombear]

Cheers!

the nails look hand made and seam to be later additions. I've been trying to match the decorations to chests that have dates attached to them . On one site I read that the applied decoration to the Mullins and stiles ( the vertical bit s between the panels, the stiles being the ones with feet the Mullins the ones without a load baring element) was the in thing pre 1650. But who says it wasn't someone's taste much later or gothic revival.

ATB

Tom

 

[Mesquite]

Can you do some pictures of inside the chest Tom?

 

[Dogoak]

Interesting and nice piece, not Victorian, difficult to judge without seeing it or some other pics, but I'd guess 17thC. The small box inside would have been for candle storage.

 

[Jimmy Bojangles]

Ok this should probably be posted elsewhere but what the heck, this is my home from home!

today at 6.15 ( not the 8.30 to 9 as promised) we were delivered of this thing.

An oak,

The inlaws sent it from the cottage in Wales they are getting rid of as herself has a fondness for it. As far as I can tell its quarter sawn oak, some bits have beens applied later like new hinges where there was wire hinges, the moulding strip at the bottom that a dogs chewed is nailed on, there's signs that the locks a replacement. Theres a small lidded candle box on the top left side under the lid. There's no history to it, it's been in a 17th century cottage kitchen for as long a the wife can remember but it could have come out of a skip in the early 1970s prior to that.

Does anyone know how to date and place such things? If its just late Victorian ill do more to restore it than if its really old. At very least I need to find out how to clean it and make some correct to period polish.

The joints are pegged, some bits of decoration look like they have been added later.

Any thoughts?

ATB

Tom

Hi Tom,

You've got yourself a nice coffer there, dating from the second half of the 17th century. I would say the split turnings are original to it. I deal in and restore 16th - 17th century furniture, if you want any advice on restoring it give me a shout.

cheers

mat

 

[bearbait]

And there was me thinking that this was going to be a thread about socialising with Cougars.

Huh!

 

[tombear]

Here's some interior shots

The brass hinges are relatively modern as are the lids two reinforcing strips which are held on with machine made brass slotted screws.

Thanks Mat, I knew we'd have a expert somewhere within the parish! That's really interesting!

I'd be very grateful to know how to clean and restore it properly. It's been bunged in the kitchen of herselfs family cottages since the early 1970s. As far as we now know its been in her maternal grandfathers family for a long time, I probably should mention they are the Craces of Brighton Pavilion etc fame. If I can undo some of the neglect it would be good to see it passed on to one of our sons.

ATB

Tom