Chest - Oak - Baroque Solid Oak Chest

Museum-grade Baroque oak chest with a second drawer – dated “1766” – hand-forged lock & original key – approx. 70 kg

CATEGORY / FEATURES:

- Era / Style: Late Baroque / Rural Baroque (Southern German or Alpine)

- Dating: Precisely dated to the year 1766 (the digits "17 66" carved on the front)

- Material: Solid oak wood (extremely heavy, sturdy quality)

- Weight: approx. 70 kg (evidence for high density and thickness of the oak)

- Dimensions (H x W x D): approx. 70 cm x 142 cm x 52 cm

- Interior: With original Beilade (candle/jewelry compartment with a folding lid on the left side)

- Accessories: Original, artfully hand-forged display key with richly decorated, pierced escutcheon

- Lock & fittings: Original, functional Baroque lock with a decorative, diamond-pierced lockplate and original hand-forged iron straps (hinges) on the back

- Condition: Excellent, authentic original condition with beautiful antique patina, fully functional and ready for living space

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

Extraordinary and museum-grade Baroque oak coffer from the year 1766 – fully functional & with original Beilade.

This magnificent, massive front-arched coffer captivates with its pristine originality and the masterful hand-carved work. On the front stands the carved year of origin “1766,” artfully flanked by two rural-Baroque carving fields with stylized floral motifs. Framed by a plastic, surrounding Guilloche band (wave band).

Special highlights of this chest:

- The interior: Inside on the left side is the original integrated Beilade (a separate small compartment with its own folding lid), historically used for storing valuables, documents or candles.

- Lock & key: The original hand-forged iron lock remains with the diamond-pierced lock plate at the front. The heavy, richly decorated Baroque hollow key is a work of art in itself. Lock and key still function perfectly after 260 years!

- Massive construction: The chest is built from thick, solid oak planks and weighs a substantial approx. 70 kg.

- Construction details: The body rests on the typical contoured Baroque bracket feet, adorned with a fine tooth-cut band. The back shows the primal, hand-worked wood structure and the original hand-forged iron straps (hinges), secured with contemporary square nuts.

DETAILED CONDITION REPORT:

The chest is in an exceptionally good, well-maintained and absolutely livable original condition:

- Wood & body: Extremely robust, heavy, and stable construction. The massive lid shows a characteristic aging crack from drying. This is fully stable, not continuous, and underscores the authentic age feature of the piece.

- Lock mechanism: Fully functional. The key turns smoothly in the lock and the bolt closes properly.

- Surface: Beautiful, patinated surface with a deep, warm patina and only minimal, age-typical signs of time. No active wood-borer infestation.