Chests

The chest was the most significant piece of furniture in the home until the 18th century, and it was the first kind of container for keeping clothes, paperwork, jewels, or other items. Chests with flat tops were also utilised as chairs or beds on occasion.

Antique chests have been found in Egypt dating back to the 18th dynasty (c. 1539–1292 BC), when they were mounted on short legs. The skills required to create such old furniture were lost during the early Middle Ages, when the dugout, which was essentially a crudely hollowed tree trunk fitted with a lid and frequently reinforced with iron bands to prevent splitting, was created. Dugouts were progressively replaced with heavy wooden chests, some of which may still be found in antique European cathedrals. They usually had a hinged lid, and many of them were reinforced with iron bands and secured with locks. A tiny covered box called a till, fastened across one end, was sometimes used to keep sweet-smelling plants.

The French were among the first to add ornamentation to the plainness of the chest in the 13th century, adorning the planks with intricate wrought-iron scrolls. The Museo de Artes Decorativas in the Palacio de la Virreina in Barcelona houses one of the most impressive chests with wrought-iron craftsmanship. Other chests of the same period imitated Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles; for example, a chest adorned with roundels and Romanesque arches may be found at the museum in Valère, Switzerland. On the sides of the chests, several pictorial images were carved, notably chivalric themes like St. George and the dragon or jousting knights.

During the Renaissance, architectural shapes were continuing to be emulated, and the chest was still an essential item of furniture as late as the 16th century. The front of the chest was generally a single panel in France, where Italian styles were adopted, to allow for more decorating flexibility. In England, Gothic designs and linenfold panels were still used on early Tudor chests (carving that resembles vertical folds of material).

Chests are among the first items of furniture in the United States. Flat carvings of leaves, flowers, and vines are known to have been produced in the late 17th century in the Connecticut River valley, but more austere chests with geometric carvings, occasionally painted, were constructed near the coast of Massachusetts. Marriage chests manufactured by Germans in Pennsylvania in the 18th century were based on southern German patterns and adorned with inlay and occasionally the owner's name.

A chest is a box with a hinged top that may be used to store and safeguard personal goods. Several chests have locking devices or a metal band that may be used to fasten a lock. Wood, metal, and other materials are used to construct a chest. Back in the day, chests were mostly utilised as storage devices, similar to how closets are used today. End joints that had been barely fastened were rebuilt with dovetailed intersections, and tops that had been attached simply by iron nails or wooden pins driven through cleats linked to the top into the sides of the chest were modernised with hinges.

Chests are highly valued due to the high quality and durability of the materials utilised. Unlike in the past, when chests were used for storage, today's antique and vintage chests are maintained in separate collections rather than being utilised for storage. Antique and vintage chests are quite fashionable these days, and many individuals love collecting old goods more than ever before. Some chests are also utilised as decorative items. Chests various auctions provide a variety of antique and vintage chests for sale. Bidsquare has one of the greatest choices of antique and vintage furniture auction online. Chests at auction are some of the rarest and most expensive collections of artefacts.