Chest

[ipsilateral]

Hey guys, need a little help with an iron strapped wooden chest. Trying to determine age and function. Wood seems to be hard with an unusual grain. Straps/hinges/handles look hand forged. Handles on sides are affixed with flathead screws. There is an unusual wooden wing on the back that must have some function in shipping(?). What is it? A strongbox? A shipping box? Any idea on the age based on hardware or styling? Measurements are metric. Approximately: 26" x 17.5" x 17".

Thanks! Nate

 

[allan]

No it is not quality work, the support piece may have been added later by someone with even cruder skills lol , and I meant Norm can recreate a period item that would pass for a period piece if it wasn't disassembled.older dovetails are usually uneven, I used a jig for mine and a router. Style of construction isn't really a good judge of age. materials are and as far as the finish that could have been added at any time. yep need more imput.
also those oddly shaped pieces look like they may have been cut form the same cant , and flipped end to end.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

No it is not quality work, the support piece may have been added later by someone with even cruder skills lol

I dont mean to downgrade the piece but there is nothing of quality in the entire woodworking, even in the box itself. Look at the lid for example. I stated this before. It just a piece of wood. There is no trim or bevel whatsoever. It looks to have been made in beginners wood shop. No furniture maker would make something so simple. It was probably made in Indonesia by crude primitive (traditional) ways with scrap shipping crate wood.

ADDED: I think I see a trim on the lid but its probably just tacked on.

 

[ipsilateral]

Here are some additional angles. Inside, inside of lid, bottom (showing replaced board). Why would someone replace a board on a repro? Anyhow, who knows. I pulled a screw and got a picture of that. Short of disassembling, that's about as much as I can find to show you. There is a bevel around the top FYI, albeit, not masterfully crafted, but there is a bevel. Chest has not been varnished. It was dangerously dry when I got it, so I oiled the exterior with a furniture oil. Interior has not been touched. Working on pics...I can't get them to load. Here's a link:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0EbNXDdwyYs3mg

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I could be wrong lol. Im just pointing out things I see in the construction. They even hand blow glass in Mexico to this day with a pipe so it could be a crudely made Mexican piece I guess.

I think what the guy was saying is if it is Teakwood it would be most likey from that area where the wood comes from. I dont think I can tell by the pic. The guy says it heavy wood that doesnt float. They farm teakwood in Mexico but I dont know if its narive.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Heres a teakwood chest from Java Indonesia. Its interesting that its made from recycled wood. http://www.indonesiateakfurniture.c...iture/mr6014-wooden-chest-java-indonesia.html http://www.indonesiateakfurniture.c...iture/mr6014-wooden-chest-java-indonesia.html

Almost everything on this page is made from recycled teakwood. That could explain the piecing in of boards and diagonal angle.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Wow those new pics are great. It sure looks different in the latest pictures. Whatever it is, I now agree that its old and has had a lot of use (and abuse).. It sure looks like a shipping crate for sure. Nice dark hardwood.

Its not a quality made piece of furniture. It was made to ship, not to be put on display, thats why it looks crude and has no fancy trim. It looks cool. It reminds me of a hardwood pallet the way its made. I didnt realize it was made of so many different boards. I doubt that its a shipping crate replica. It looks real. I have no idea of country.

Try to ID the wood. The screw looks modern but it could have been added later along with a few trim pieces tacked on.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

That old wood will dry and crack. Teakwood oil helps.

 

[taz42o]

I dont think it was a shipping crate because the bottom sticks out past the sides, no reason for that on a crate its a waste of space.
The dove tails are hand sawn ,I can see the scribe marks , differences in angles of cuts and overcuts.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I learned a lesson here. Pictures can be deciving. Its obviously old and not varnished. I can even see rust that I wasnt seeing in the original pics.

Ill let you guys sort it out. I guess we all agree its old, and crudely made by hand. Not a piece of beauty but functional. It was made for a purpose, whatever that is. It sure reminds me of a shipping crate with the hardwood board pieces. Afterall military needs to ship as well.

Cool chest thanks for sharing. Are those staples under the lid?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I dont think it was a shipping crate because the bottom sticks out past the sides, no reason for that on a crate its a waste of space.

I dont think it sticks out past the hardware. But now that I think of it, a common shipping crate would just be nailed shut. It may have been used to ship but it was also used to open and close and keep something secure that can be easily accessed later..

Get an antique padlock for it.

 

[allan]

well the screw is post 1850 style ,the numbers on it do appear to be shipping crate style , maybe it was made from one.from what I gather pre 1850 style screws tended to have a flat point. I am more than willing to take it off your hands is that a $200 mark on the bottom ?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Here is an inside comparison to a shipping crate on eBay without any wrought iron straps. Notice the slightly diagonal angles where the wood boards meet because they are made from any wood available. I dont remember seeing a furniture chest or tool box pieced in with boards, but Ill search for one.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

well the screw is post 1850 style ,the numbers on it do appear to be shipping crate style , maybe it was made from one.from what I gather pre 1850 style screws tended to have a flat point.

I guess flat head screws were made a long time ago. Thanks for the chart. But this ones threaded all the way.

 

[White Shaddow]

Great chest

I do antique restoration for a living for over 30 years,heres my best guess.It's made out of chaffer wood [they use it over sea like we use cedar]if you open it up it should smell sweet.Bug don't like it and water doesn't rot it which mades it good for a sea traveler.I'm guessing by the hardware it's English or Irish from around 1750-1800's.Nice piece. Here's one from around 1870-1900 as you can see they started using brass strapping and lock to make more and faster than the blacksmith older ones.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Great chest

I do antique restoration for a living for over 30 years,heres my best guess.It's made out of chaffer wood [they use it over sea like we use cedar]if you open it up it should smell sweet.Bug don't like it and water doesn't rot it which mades it good for a sea traveler.I'm guessing by the hardware it's English or Irish from around 1750-1800's.Nice piece. Here's one from around 1870-1900 as you can see they started using brass strapping and lock to make more and faster than the blacksmith older ones.

I have been trying to google chaffer, shaffer, chafer wood but cant find it. Could the spelling be wrong?

At least your chest has a better lid and the nails are probably countersunk. Have you seen any other examples of a chest made crate-like with odd sized wood planks?

 

[ole_grisley]

is my eyes failing me in old age lol ?
what everyone is calling dovetail joints I am not seeing
a dovetail is cut at a slant so the 2 peices fit together and do not slip apart.
but the joints I see are square cut and no dove angle so it would have the have the straps there to give it strength.
the chest to me looks like one that would set in front of someplace to drop off things like milk , bread, or whatever in the old days when things was delivered and not one for traveling arround with.

 

[ivan salis]

note iron was commonly used on older trunks - brass on more modern ones --bec ause brass was cheaper and easier to make mass production wize * -- also note the flur de lis type design ends on the iron srapping that type of design is quite common to old spanish early mexican made trunks pre 1821 before the spanish were driven out of mexico and shortly afterwards time frame wize.( mid 1800 era)

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

-- also note the flur de lis type design ends on the iron srapping that type of design is quite common to old spanish early mexican made trunks pre 1821 before the spanish were driven out of mexico and shortly afterwards time frame wize.( mid 1800 era)

Where do you see Fleur De Lis?

Its either Mexican, Indonesian, English, or Irish ranging from modern to colonial so far the opinions.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

is my eyes failing me in old age lol ?
what everyone is calling dovetail joints I am not seeing
a dovetail is cut at a slant so the 2 peices fit together and do not slip apart.
but the joints I see are square cut and no dove angle so it would have the have the straps there to give it strength.
the chest to me looks like one that would set in front of someplace to drop off things like milk , bread, or whatever in the old days when things was delivered and not one for traveling arround with.

OK I went back and looked and I rewrote this several times.

The dovetails appear to resemble the 20th century type on my chest. They are extremely strong and do not need any bracing. (one side square the other dovetailed) Its not a 19th century type of dovetail from my research.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Great chest

Here's one from around 1870-1900 as you can see they started using brass strapping and lock to make more and faster than the blacksmith older ones.

Are there any dovetails on your chest?