13th-century chest

Typical 13th-century chest.

This chest is made of oak and chestnut, fitted with forged ironwork in mermaid-tail and heart shapes that incorporates the chest’s hinges. The lock is set into the thickness of the wood. 13th-century chests can be recognised by the panelled sides and the absence of carving on the panels.

The feet are deliberately short on this model so that the top of the chest is at a standard seat height. The chest is assembled in the historical and traditional way with pegged mortise and tenon joints. The nails and all the ironwork are hand-forged.

Approximate dimensions HxWxD: 45 cm x 120 cm x 50 cm