Charles II Ivory Inlaid Elm Chest on Stand c. 1660

A substantial and unusual solid elm and oak chest with a really beautiful colour and rich patina with three fielded panels over two original drawers inlaid with floral and foliate marquetry in ivory.

The inlay work is superb and in excellent condition for age, delicately shaped and decorated vases with stems of daisies, poppies and clematis, and the decorated baskets in the lower corners of the central panel are full of cut flowers. The skill of the craftsman to execute such work with no electricity and only basic tools in such fine detail is immense. The ivory was first delicately split and thinned and then cut, shaded by gentle burning and hand engraved with each detail before being inlaid into recessed identically shaped cut outs in the panels.

The two drawers open and close smoothly and retain their original heavy elm linings with rebated side runners and substantial dovetailed joints. The handles are period - small brass drops with snaped fixings on original circular brass backplates.

The elm triple fielded panel lid rises on original iron split ring hinges, the fine ogee border mouldings to the panels on the lid match those to the three panels on the front. There has been some additional bracing added in the 19th century to support the lid, a professional ‘belt and braces’ piece of restoration which would have been expensive. It is oak and demonstrates how valued the chest has been by its previous custodians that they paid a lot of money for this to be done so discretely and well. The back of the coffer is boarded in elm and inside there is the original candle box and clean interior with all of the boards with hand adzed surfaces.

Original pegged joints with tiny squared pegs which sit a few mms proud as they should. The whole chest is raised on an elm and oak stand of similar date - but probably associated - with substantial turned front legs united by a box stretcher with original pegs and through tenons. Evidence of old worm to the drawer linings and beneath the chest but nothing significant and all is structurally sound and heavy, and the worm is long since dead.

With fabulously rich colour and deep sheen from centuries of dust, wax and use. This is a very striking and rare piece of mid 17th century furniture in lovely usable condition.

The chest will work well as a sideboard, a chest for bed linen and towels or a hall cupboard and it offers a capacious amount of storage space.

(Ivory submission certificate number: SSSBD8TD)