Rare silver "knotten"chest with various decor all-round showing people, animals and plants. The chest has lion feet. The object is covered in chased scenes about love. The box is in excellent condition. Hallmarks are visible in three places (the sword with 835 in it and the mark J*W), namely on the box itself, the lid and the handle. Collecting on location is possible in TILBURG, THE NETHERLANDS, but the objects can also be packaged with care and shipped registered. ************** "Knotte" chest: The "knotte"chest is part of an engagement ritual. In the sixteenth century it was customary in the north of The Netherlands, that a boy offered his girl a piece of money when asking her to marry. When she accepted this wedding coin, she was considered to be engaged. If you offered several coins, they were offered in a cloth with a special knot: the so-called Knotte (or Knotte cloth). This knotte ('knot' has the same meaning in Friesian as in English) was 'loosely' knotted. When the girl drew the knot tight, her answer was positive and they were engaged. With the increase of prosperity, the cloth was replaced by a silver chest, the so-called "Knotte" chest. The chest and the content remained the property of the woman and was also considered as an extra, during hard times. During the offering the following poem was voiced by the boy: Wotte ? sa wotte Sa heste de knotte Wost it net dwaen Den kinst my de knotte werjaen In English: Do you? - If you want Then you will have the Knotte cloth If you don’t Then you have to give me the Knotte back Most of the knotte chests date from the seventeenth or early eighteenth century and were made in Friesland or Noord-Holland.