Featured Info on 17th century trunk

As I am going through things I have inherited from my parents I am trying to gather as much info as I can to pass on to my grandchildren. My father purchased this trunk from a junk yard in Libya in late 1960's. It has a iron key that I hope I come across as I am unpacking what my brother packed up for me. The key causes a bell to ring when turned. My father had labeled it 17th Century. The wood is not particularly heavy but then it has many years to dry out!. The hinges are hidden from the outside. all you can see is from the inside. 4 sets of two loops secured to the the box with "cotter" type pin folded out. Same with the handles. When we purchased it , it was very tarnished. My father bought an electric eraser that the 4 children remember taking their turn at polishing it when it became tarnished. I have a small version of this as well. I am wondering if my father's estimation of the age is correct and also country of origin. 44"x 24"x 23" Green paint under brass.

 

Unsure how old it could be but could be an Islamic dowry chest? By green paint do you mean the patina? Try google imaging Kuwaiti or Shirazi chest, could be a match. Apologies if you knew this already.

 

Thank you Moriarty for you reply. My apologies on the green paint. The little trunk version has the green paint. I just received this and it is currently store in a dark hallway. Islamic Dowry chest I had not thought of. And I will research Kuwaiti and Shirazi chest. I parents would have bought this after Gadhafi had kicked all foreigners out of the country other than Americans and Brits.

 

Gorgeous, Lark.
These are often called Zanzibar chests, and have several other names associated with different Arab countries.
There are similar chests and boxes with carnelian stones inlaid in floral brass decorations, those were made in Yemen.
If you google Zanzibar chest you will see more like yours.

Both the Arab peninsula and Zanzibar are known for these chests, but the old ones without carnelians were mostly made in Baluchistan (present day Pakistan) for export to the Middle East.
Green is the colour of Islam, but I don't know if that is the reason for the paint.

Zanzibar used to be a colony of Oman, and for a while it was the seat of the Omani empire. Omani ships went back and forth between the two parts of the empire carrying these chests, hence the name Zanzibar chest.
Yours could have ended up in Libya with one of many Arab families. North Africa was colonised by Arabs, and the elite of North African society is of Arab descent.

These chests were not dowry chests specifically. Because traditional Middle Eastern households didn't have wardrobes, clothing, bed linen, etc was kept in chests and boxes.
Smaller boxes were used for dcuments and valuables although jewellery was sometimes kept with clothing. Maybe your smaller box is a valuables box. What is the size of the smaller one?

So the slaves and servants couldn't steal precious silks and jewellery.

If you want to know more about Omani Zanzibar and the world these boxes were used in and how, I can recommend the book "Memoirs of an Arabian Princess" by Emily Ruete. Emily Ruete was born in 1844 in Zanzibar as Sayyida Salama bint Said, daughter of the then sultan of Omani empire.

 

Thank you again AJ. the little trunk is constructed in the same way and same design. 24"x12"x12"

 

That one is beautiful too. A bit too big for a valuables chest, just a smaller chest.

 

So many beautiful pieces had to be left behind when people were deported by Gadhafi. I wonder if these two could have been part of that. Both of my parents are gone now so I have no way of knowing whether they got them at the junk yard sales or from a dealer there in Libya. They just were always there in the house. They certainly had to be purchased together.

 

Could well be. He deported the Libyan Jews, who had been part of Libyan society for at least 2000 yrs. The Jewish community had strong ties with the Arab community, so that could be it.
He also deported the Libyan Italian community.

Some of my relatives worked in Libya in the 60s, but they sent their children to school in Malta, very close by.

 

we aways be being deported from somewhere or other ............
now Ye lookin to deport us from history...!

 

We were there from 67-70. I had to go to high school in Switzerland because he kicked out Wheelus air force base. I did not realize he expelled the Libyan Jews . We have two very nice carved enormous Armoires that were probably Italian missing the doors. My dad worked near the docks and he watched as the people being deported were trying to get their furniture on board. He said they would take out the drawers and let them take the main box or take off the doors. It was just spite .

 

Ye maybe but not ME!

 

“the being formally [sic] known as Kanye West. I am Ye”.

 

I knew you meant that . I was just saying that Ye might deport you but Me would not!

 

& I would never suggest that you would , either !!!

maybe share a tall iced tea on the porch.........that would be nice !!!!

 

@anyjewelry I finally unpacked the key to the Libyan trunk . It still works and rings the bell! Pretty amazing that the two are together after all this time. I thought may be the design on the key might tell you something.