Looking for some help with this one.

Hello All. I found this chest and was wondering if anyone had an opinion about it. It is all hand made, and in some areas roughly. The hinges are also handmade loop around a pin. Any ideas its origin?

 

It has the form of an 18th.C panelled coffer or chest, but without lots of general views and details it is not possible to say when it might have neen made.

If it is early it is quite possible the carving was added in the 19th C. They were mad keen on taking plain stuff and dolling it up, much like people with paint and furniture today.
It would also be relevant what country you are in and possibly how you cameby it.

 

I'll take some more pictures and post them tomorrow. I am in the US. The chest belonged to a priest who passed and left it for trash. I did not know him very well but knew he traveled around the world for the church.

 

Appears to be English Oak.

Adding - late 1800s.

 

What a lovely chest! And for free too! I think AF is right,it certainly looks like it has a lot of age to it.

 

I think it is a late 17th. C to mid or late 18th C chest that has been extensively renovated and altered in the 19th C. This is not unusual. I have no idea of the market where you are but I;d expect it to fetch about the equivalent of $200 - $300 at auction in England, where it probably originally came from. It is also possible that it was faked up in the mid 20th. C. to sell as an original period piece, but I think they would have used an older type of lock.

Despite the age it is not very valuable since huge numbers of chests of the period survived, because if not as decorative as that one they are always useful and last forever. I have one myself, a lot plainer but it fills a chest sized space below a window and has been used for years to store the Christmas decorations. It could be that it would fetch more in America, more people, fewer old chests, and possibly more reverence for the reasonably old due to everything being younger over there.

Well done for saving it. The dead priest would probably thank you too, it is amazing what the ignorant can discard.

 

Welcome!

 

Hi,
I love the chest. Just a reminder, check to see if it is heavier on one side than the other. I had a friend buy a piece from a church going out of business and it contained a massive amount of sterling silver in a hidden back.
greg

 

Can't really add anything to what AF has to say, other than it may do a bit better over here. Would really depend on the venue and location.

 

a church going out of business

That really is the way to look at them.