Gothic oak joined chest

Gothic German oak joined chest with linenfold and parchemin panels. This massive chest is constructed from the typically reddish-black timber harvested in Saxony. The parchemin panels found on its facade are of an elaborated form of produced during the early fifteenth century on the German/Belgian border. A closely related chest with parchemin panels carved with similar sets of intersecting, curves is in the Kuntgewerbemuseum in Kaln and is illustrated in Otto Von Falke, Deutsche Mobel, vom Mittelalter bis zum Afang, des 19. Jahrhunderts, pp. 66. Both chest were originally configured with an additional short stile tenoned into the front floor-rail below the central muntin. Large spandrels starching across the width of the chests below the floor rails were contained between the short stiles and the front stiles.

Ancient gray surface with deep natural patination.

Original lock. Back floor rail, back rail of lid, and proper-left rear stile replaced. Central short stile and spandrels lost.