SUPERB LATE ELIZABETHAN CHEST (c. 1600 ENGLISH)

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51.25inch wide    28.50inch high    22.75inch deep (130.17 cm wide  72.39 cm high  57.78 cm deep)

An important late-Elizabethan oak chest, or coffer, of superb quality, with plank top over a frieze carved with overlapping lunettes enclosing stylised leaves; the heavily moulded framing of the three deeply recessed panels is embellished all over with carved and punched decoration, while each of the three panels is carved with a five-pointed star (pentagram). The strongly architectural stiles are in the form of pilasters decorated with beautifully carved stop-fluting; the base of the chest is defined by a deep moulding.
English, probably East Anglia, circa 1600.

The overall construction and sophisticated decoration of this chest reflects Continental inspiration, while the Elizabethan interest in geometry and geometrical forms (seen for instance in the Triangular Lodge at Rushton, Northamptonshire) might be seen to influence the decoration.

The underside of the lid is covered with pasted-on broadsheet ballads, playbills and hand-written song-sheets.

Height 28 1/2" (72.4cm)
Width 51 1/4" (130.2cm)
Depth 22 3/4" (57.8cm)