A Diminutive Early 19th-Century Scandinavian Antique Folk-Art Decorated Chip Carved Table Top Box / Dowry Chest / Marriage Chest, Dated “1828.”
Description
A Diminutive Early 19th-Century Scandinavian Antique Folk-Art Decorated Chip Carved Table Top Box / Dowry Chest / Marriage Chest, Dated “1828.”
A charming and diminutive piece of folk art dating back to the early 19th century.
Scandinavian in origin and made as a love token/dowry chest/marriage chest.
Of six-plank, nailed construction with a sloped/fall front lid which is joined to the carcass by way of two metal hinges.
The front and lid are chip-carved. One end board is scratch-carved with linear decoration. The patterns include intricate geometric shapes and floral motifs, and two love hearts, characteristic of the decorative style often seen in folk art from the 19th century. The box is adorned with hand-painted designs. The lid bears a name (possibly Mollers?) and a date of “1828”. This most probably relates to a marriage, given the two love hearts also mentioned.
Provenance – Unknown.
Condition – Please refer to the images, which are self-explanatory.
Size -.Width 25 cm x Depth 15 cm x Height 16.5 cm (9 7/8″ x 5 7/8″ x 6 1/2″
