SALES ARCHIVE

A MAGNIFICENT AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE SAXON OAK CHEST. CIRCA 1350.

THIS MAGNIFICENT 14TH CENTURY OAK CLAMPFRONT CHEST IS OF AN IMPRESSIVE SIZE. IT HAS A RARE FEATURE OF TWO CARVED QUATREFOILS ON THE LID, THIS FEATURE IS IDENTICAL TO A CHEST SOLD IN TENNANTS LEYBURN IN 2019 AS A 13TH-15TH CENTURY ENGLISH OAK CLAMPFRONT CHEST FOR £22,000.SEE PHOTO. OUR EXAMPLE AND THE TENNANTS EXAMPLE ARE MOST PROBABLY FROM THE LUNEBURGER MOOR REGION OF LOWER SAXONY, GERMANY.
The vast majority survive in-situ within a group of medieval convents in located on the isolated Lüneburger Moor in Lower Saxony- examples include a famous group of chests from Kloster Isenhagen. These chests are also known for their high-quality riven timber and ingenious construction. This example is cleverly built, using the natural wedge-shape of the timber and large, pins driven from the inside to secure the front boards to the massive stiles. A chest which shares this construction survives in Lübeck in the ST Annen-Museum and has been dendro-dated to 1362. This chest′s slightly domed lid and canted profile are also early features which point to 14th-century date. Interestingly, the well- known "Kentish Gothic" chests (for example, chests at Rainham and Faversham) share this same construction and may be either imports from Saxony, or the products of immigrant artisans.


THESE RARE CHESTS ARE RENOWNED FOR THEIR HIGH QUALITY TIMBER AND INGENIOUS CONSTRUCTION. THIS EXAMPLE IS NO EXCEPTION, THE NATURALLY THICK OAK LID HAS BEEN CUT STRAIGHT FROM THE CURVE OF THE TREE, STANDING ON LARGE STILE FEET AND HAS THE RARE LATTICE END CONSTRUCTION SEEN ON AN EXAMPLE IN WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL AND PICTURED IN VICTOR CHINNERY. PG 111. FIG 2:122. ALSO THE WELL KNOWN KENTISH GOTHIC CHESTS AT RAINHAM AND FAVERSHAM SHARE THE SAME CONSTRUCTION.

A TRULY RARE SAXON CHEST. CIRCA 1350.

BOTTOM BOARDS OLD REPLACEMENTS

PROVENANCE-PRIVATE ENGLISH COLLECTION.

STOCK NO 1866.


Dimensions:
Height: 25 inches (63.5 cms)
Width: 60 inches (152.4 cms)
Depth: 27.5 inches (69.9 cms)

SOLD

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