Trunk
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1690
Materials
Leather, brass, pine carcass
Measurements
69 x 101.5 x 57 cm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Florence Court, County Fermanagh
NT 630570
Summary
A leather-covered, brass-bound and brass-studded trunk or coffer, English, circa 1690. Decorated overall with borders and swirls of close-nailed brass studs, the front with twin tulip head design and the lid with crown and royal cipher WM (for William and Mary), with a hinged lid and two long drawers underneath, having elaborately pierced lock plates and side carrying handles.
Full description
Until late in the 18th century a coffer-maker is found among the officers of the royal household. The crown and monogram, so often found on these trunks, does not necessarily imply Royal ownership, as furniture and accessories used in the palaces or Government service were often stamped in this way (P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1954, vol. II, p. 17). Travelling trunks of this form with similar decorative brass-studding (but no monogram) originated in the seventeenth century and continued to be produced, relatively unaltered in form right through to the reign of George II. Sometimes known as 'Chancellor' chests, they have been associated with Chancellors of the Exchequer as government 'office equipment' (discussed A .Wells-Cole, Furniture History Society Newsletter, no. 141, February 2001). There were also higher status royal household trunks which have lock-plates topped with a crown and studded patterns forming the royal cipher (for example NT 824968 at Ightham Mote) and yet another smaller group of linen trunks and cabinets that were supplied to the servants of the Royal bedchamber (the most privileged and high-ranking of domestic servants at court). To date, nine such surviving examples have been identified and this example at Florence Court is one of them. Seven share the form seen here with a lidded top and two drawers underneath. (see Olivia Fryman, Coffer-Makers to the late Stuart Court 1669-1714, Furniture History journal Vol LII for 2016, p 1-16). There are a number of related trunks across the National Trust Collections, including NT 597606 (Montacute House), NT 1332028 (Snowshill Manor), NT 485364 (Petworth House), NT 825012 (Ightham Mote), NT 1127726 (Hardwick Hall) and especially NT 790832 (Scotney Castle).
Marks and inscriptions
References
Furniture History Society (Great Britain), Furniture History., 1965-, Vol LII for 2016, p 1-15 Furniture History Society (Great Britain), Furniture History., 1965-, Newsletter 141, February 2001