Charles II East Devon chest

Joined elm chest with original polychromy, probably constructed in the same workshop in which Thomas Dennis apprenticed. This chest is the first of all the exhibition chests to have strong provenance relating to Ottery St Mary, Devon. It is also the first I have come across to be completely elm! it has all the V V mouldings as all the other chests, pin hinges, moulding on lid same as others. The interesting upper front carved frieze is near indentical to an oak chest which has been attributed to the Dennis workshop, Ipswich Massachusetts and dated 1692, now in the Essex Institute, (last picture here) But also are all the stiles and rails!! Traces of red paint.

Provenace: Morris Tucker Collection, South Devon.
Letter from Morris states: I got the chest from a house clearance sale of an old antiques dealer in Ottery St Mary, in about 1970. He said (previous owner after the sale) it came from the outhouse of a small holding where the owner had died, and then went on to say that these chests were thought to have been made in Ottery. Morris Tucker