- Home
- Furniture
- Casegoods & Storage
- Trunks & Chests
- Trunks & Blanket Chests
- Late Medieval 16th Century German Wrought Iron Oa…
Or save it to favorites and we'll tell you if this item goes on sale!
- Get the Chairish App
- to view in your space
Late Medieval 16th Century German Wrought Iron Oak Chest or Stollentruhe
- Get the Chairish App
- to view in your space
Details
Description
We have the pleasure to present a rare late medieval 16th century German wrought iron oak chest or Stollentruhe.
This …
more
We have the pleasure to present a rare late medieval 16th century German wrought iron oak chest or Stollentruhe.
This is an early 16th century, circa 1500-1550, Stollentruhe or German Gothic chest from most likely Westphalia.
It is made of oak and tiger oak with exceptional wrought iron bands and adornments with a stunning central lock section and the original key and working lock.
Once opened it reveals a lidded and hinged candle box.
What adds to the exceptionality of this piece is it’s originality.
It only has one place where there is evidence of an historic repair, namely, the top/lid’s hinges. This is not surprising in the least, as with most chests from the 18th or 19th centuries will have replacement hinges due to the weight of the top when opened and breakages from being let fall backwards over time. When one considers that this chest is 500 years old it is hardly surprising that the hinges required some work, at some time, probably in the 19th century. In this case, one can see where a new wrought iron bracket has been placed on the back of the chest and attached to the original top bracket and hinge, thereby keeping it as original and true to its original construction as possible.
Apart from that repair this chest is simply stunning in its originality and construction. Everything else is original, right down to the handmade iron nails.
What elevates this piece in its desirability and collectability is the fact that it’s raised legs have never been cut down. These chests were always constructed on raised platform feet or legs as they would have stood on stone floors and raising the chest meant that the contents were protected from damp and wet. With most of these very early chests (both British and otherwise) the very bottom of the feet or platforms would rot over time due to coming into contact with wet, damp floors (think of mopping) this would result in the owners cutting the four legs to the same length to remove the rotted areas. It is very rare indeed, to find one of these chests that has not had its legs cut down over time.
Whilst, some of the others have more ornate decoration, this one is exceptional because of it’s originality.
This chest was in existence when Martin Luther was founding the reformation!
Most people refer to these as blanket chests, but on this I am going to slightly disagree, Whilst the candle box is often replicated in subsequent variations on the model of a blanket chest, I simply cannot reconcile the elaborate locking mechanism as being something that would be necessary to protect simple linens. Also, the height of the piece is not conducive to it being used at the base of a bed for bed linens. Also, the elaborate banding and craftsmanship of the wrought iron is something that was intended for display and not to be hidden away in a bedroom.
In my opinion, therefore, this is a silver or treasure chest for keeping valuables securely under lock and key, like for example, silver candelabras etc. …. hence the candle box.
Construction The chest is of joined, ‘clamp-front’ construction, reinforced by the nailed, iron mounts. In total it uses ten, oak boards which were riven and planed. The back and front are each formed from a large single plank held to the full height stiles by long, pegged tenons. The sides are also single boards joined into the stiles using long tenons held by dowels, and extend down below the chest bottom, concealing the ends of the bottom boards. The bottom consists of a single board cut into the sides and shallow rebates in the stiles. The front and back boards are dowelled into the bottom boards. The lid which overhangs the sides has a narrow cleat at each end, and consists of one wide plank which has bowed a little as a result of shrinkage.
Ironwork: The wrought ironwork straps, lock plate, hasp and lock all appear all appear to be early, and of the same original manufacture and are fixed with convex headed nails. There is mild dark staining of the oak around the iron mounts, possibly because of low tannin content in the oak.
Related to: No 900:2-1904 V&A Museum, London. Stadtmuseum Dusseldorf. Decorative Arts Museum Berlin. Museen Schleswig-Holstein & Hamburg. A related example featuring elaborately-carved feet and formerly in the Horsham Museum, West Sussex, sold at Christie’s in 2010 for £97,250 and another example, again with carved feet sold at Sothebys in 2006 for £48,000.
Literature: A similar example is illustrated in H. Lüttgens, Alt- Aachener Wohnkultur; Ein Rundgang durch ein altes Aachener Haus im Wohnstil des 18. Jahrhunderts, Aachen, n.d., ill. 12, and another comparable iron-bound chests illustrated in H. Kreisel, Die Kunst des Deutschen Möbels, Munich, 1974, pls. 45-46.
This type of large oak standing chest is known as a ‘stollentruhe’ (studded chest) and is thought to have been made from at least the early-16th century, based on the style of ironwork and form of the front legs which tend to be carved on earlier models. The German Renaissance was established and Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach the elder were famous throughout Europe. The type has become closely associated with the Westphalia region in central, western Germany (between the Rhine and Weser rivers, located north and south of the Ruhr River).
Comparative literature • Baumeier, Stefan, Beschlagene Kisten; Die ältesten Truhen Westfalens, Essen, 2012.
• Falke, Otto von, Deutsche Möbel des Mittelalters und der Renaissance, Stuttgart, 1924.
• Kreisel, Heinrich, Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels, Von den Anfängen bis zum Hochbarock, München, 1968, Band I.
• Stülpnagel, Karl Heinrich von, Die gotischen Truhen der Lüneburger Heideklöster, Cloppenburg, 2000.
• Windisch-Graetz, Franz, Möbel Europas, Band I, Von der Romanik zur Spätgotik, München, 1982.
less
- Dimensions
- 69.5ʺW × 24.5ʺD × 35.5ʺH
- Styles
- Medieval
- Renaissance
- Period
- 16th Century
- Country of Origin
- Germany
- Item Type
- Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
- Materials
- Iron
- Oak
- Condition
- Good Condition, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections
- Color
- Brown
- Condition Notes
- Repaired: Hinges only. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Very good original condition. See full posting for details. Repaired: Hinges only. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Very good original condition. See full posting for details. less
Need more product details?
Shipping Options
Standard Returns & Cancellations
Return Policy - All sales are final 48 hours after delivery, unless otherwise specified in the description of the product.
Extended Return for Trade
- Expands return window for trade members to 14 days (12 days more than our standard return policy)
- Trade member to notify Chairish of intent to return within 14 days of item delivery
- Buyer refunded item cost. Buyer pays return shipping cost
- Does not apply to damages that occur post-delivery
Questions about the item?
Related Collections
- Art Nouveau Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Antique Brass Finish Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Outsider and Self Taught Art Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Charcoal Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Parchment Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Federal Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Gothic Revival Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Ivory Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Steamer Trunks
- Wicker Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Storage Trunks
- Mid-Century Modern Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Antique Trunks
- Asian Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Trunks and Blanket Chests in Chicago
- Queen Anne Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Mustard Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Travel Trunks
- Italian Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Adirondack Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Cardboard Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Trunks and Blanket Chests in Sacramento
- Ming Trunks and Blanket Chests
- Trunks and Blanket Chests in Birmingham
- Goldenrod Trunks and Blanket Chests
Returns
- Does not arrive
- Is broken during transit
- Is entirely different than what you purchased
- Some made-to-order items and a limited selection of other items (noted as non-refundable in the returns and cancellations section of the product description)
-
Orders where Free Local Pickup or Seller Managed Local Delivery were selected:
- Upon inspection, If you decide not to move forward with the purchase, you or your agent must refuse the item at the time of pickup/delivery from the seller
- Once you have taken possession of the item, all sales are final
- International, cross-border returns may require different processes depending on the countries between which the item is shipping to/from, and the buyer is responsible and duties (if applicable, on cross-border orders).
- On approved returns, the buyer is responsible for the full cost of return packing and shipping.
Cancellations
- Prior to shipping or local pickup, buyers may cancel an order for any reason, with the exception of some Made-to-Order items, where supplies have been purchased or work begun on the item.
- Please notify us within 24 hours of purchase if you would like to cancel an order, as prompt cancellation will reduce the likelihood that you will incur return shipping charges.
- Once shipping or pickup has been initiated, the cancellation will be considered a return and you will be responsible for the cost of shipping.
Shipping
Note: Made-to-Order items typically include a lead time or custom delivery window that is added to the delivery time.
- Chairish Express In-Home Delivery
- Chairish Express In-Home deliveries are currently only offered for international cross-border shipments.
- The item will be delivered to your home and placed in the desired room. The delivery service includes unpacking, inspecting, and removing packaging materials; and does not include installation or setting up the item.
- Shipping charges start at $999 and vary based on the size, weight, packaging, and/or the value of the item.
- Deliveries can take anywhere from 6 to 9 weeks to be delivered.
- Chairish Freight Delivery
- Delivered in a crate, to your front door.
- You will need tools and/or equipment to open the crate.
- Shipping charges start at $799 and vary based on the size, weight, packaging, and/or the value of the item.
- Chairish Freight deliveries can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks.
- Only available in selected markets.
- Chairish In-Home Delivery
- The item will be delivered to your home and placed in the desired room. The delivery service includes unpacking, inspecting, and removing packaging materials; and does not include installation or setting up the item.
-
Shipping charges start at $149 and based on the size and the distance between pickup and delivery
(for approximate values see table):
Delivery Type Within 50 miles radius Within 1,500 miles radius Over 1,500 miles radius International Cross-Border Shipping Price $149 - $299 $199 - $799 $449 - $899 Over $899 Transit Time 2 to 4 weeks 3 to 6 weeks 4 to 8 weeks 12 to 17 weeks - For some items, the shipping price may vary depending on the size, weight, material and/or value of the item.
- Free Local Pickup
- Local pickup allows customers to inspect an item at the time of pickup and avoid shipping costs.
- Following purchase, a confirmation email is sent to the email address associated with the order, and includes: Pickup Verification & Seller's contact information
- Please contact the seller within 5 days to coordinate pickup
- Once the item has been picked up (by you or your representative) it cannot be returned or refunded.
- Free Shipping
- Free shipping may be offered on select listings.
- Smaller items are typically delivered within 2 weeks of the purchase date, while larger items and furniture may take up to 6 weeks for delivery.
- When an item with Free Shipping is returned, the cost of return shipping fees will be charged to the buyer.
- Parcel Delivery
- Shipment is arranged through recognized carriers such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL.
- Only pieces that can be safely packed in a box or envelope may be shipped via parcel.
- Shipping charges start at $9 — and vary based on the size, weight, packaging and the value of the item.
Delivery Type US Domestic International Cross-Border Shipping Price $9 - $99 $39 - $499 Transit Time 1 to 2 weeks 2 to 4 weeks - Seller Managed Delivery
- Shipping is offered and managed by the seller, through a shipper of the seller’s choice.
- Available on items at the seller’s discretion.
- Seller Managed Local Delivery
- Local curbside delivery is offered and managed by the seller, within a limited geography.
- Following purchase, a confirmation email is sent to the confirmation email address associated with the order, and includes: Pickup Verification Code & Seller’s contact information
- Please contact the seller within 5 days to coordinate delivery.
The Chairish Buyer Guarantee
Make an Offer
Fees and shipping costs will be calculated in the next step
Have questions about how offers work? Learn more or .