Balkan Marriage Dowry Chest, 1850s

Details

Description

Balkan Marriage Dowry chest-mid 19th century.

This is a fine example of an exceptionally rare, unique Balkan marriage chest.
It … Read more Balkan Marriage Dowry chest-mid 19th century.

This is a fine example of an exceptionally rare, unique Balkan marriage chest.
It has the very distinctive features of chests created for female brides to be, of affluent families living along the Adriatic coastline.
This chest would have played a very important role for a female member of the family.
It has very rich hand-painted floral decoration on the front and each side of the chest. It is elaborately decorated with a traditional composition of flowers in and around vases. Internally the lid of the chest has been decorated with painted flowers. Two iron handles are mounted on the sides of the chest.
For centuries, it was a custom for brides to use these chests to bring textiles, clothes and jewellery with them on their wedding day. On the day the chest was ritually carried in the wedding procession, from the bride’s to the groom’s home.
The dowry trunk had to look as beautiful as possible, bright and appealing. Each area or region had it's distinctive styles, patterns, colours and there were local masters and workshops with specialist painters.
Other rules governing the painted decoration of marriage trunks were tribal, local and ceremonial.
Dimensions: 
Length: 171cm
Height: 100cm
Width: 64cm
Depth interior: 68cm

Materials: 
Iron,Pine
Place of Origin: 
Balkan Peninsula
Period: 
1850-1859 See less