Jan & John Maggs
Antiques and Art
Very early narrow boarded oak coffer
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Six riven oak boards joined by rose-head nails and undecorated but for the simple moulded detail at the front of its lid, this coffer epitomizes the austerity of country joinery in the early seventeenth century. Only the sides have been embellished by the crown-like cutout which creates the four feet upon which it stands. At some point in its past, a small oak patch has been nailed to the face, covering a hole which probably housed the first lock box.
The lid, originally hinged with forged cotter pins, is now secured with hand-forged strap hinges, probably replacements made in the 18th century. Before it came to us, someone had sealed the entire piece with varnish. We have removed it by scraping to expose most of the original surface, to which we have added nothing. The vertical board on the left end had lost nearly an inch to decay, which caused it to tilt rather unattractively. We have attached small risers to the bottoms of the two left legs, which has cured the tilt. However, in deference to the originality of the coffer, we used only small nails, assuring that the two tiny additions could be easily and invisibly removed.
English: ca. 1600 – 1620
Lid: 46 ¾” X 12 ½”; Height: 21 ¾”
Price: $950
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Inventory #26357
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